Manchester United confirm the appointment of Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren as Erik ten Hag’s new backroom staff, with the boss set to be unveiled today ahead of major rebuild to revive Old Trafford fortunes
- Erik ten Hag has added Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren to his staff
- Van der Gaag worked as Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax and the pair won three titles
- McClaren returns to United two decades after working under Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United have added Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren to the backroom team at Old Trafford following Erik ten Hag’s appointment as manager.
Van der Gaag worked as Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax where the two men won three Dutch titles together.
Ten Hag was McClaren’s No 2 at FC Twente and was adamant the former England manager joined him at United to offer advice on the club and English football in general.
Mitchell van der Gaag (right) worked as Erik ten Hag’s (left) assistant at Ajax and the pair won three titles
Ten Hag, Van der Gaag and Steve McClaren watched United’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace
McClaren returns to Old Trafford more than two decades after he served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant in United’s Treble winning season.
Van der Gaag and McClaren watched United’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday alongside Ten Hag, who begins work at his new club on Monday.
‘I thought I worked hard until I met Erik,’ said McClaren recently. ‘His great strength lies not just in his attention to detail and organisation.
Ten Hag is due to be officially unveiled as United’s new boss at a press conference on Monday
‘He has a clear philosophy of how he wants to play football; the environment he wants to create.’
In a statement announcing the appointments, United said: ‘Welcome to United, Mitchell… and welcome back, Steve!’
Ten Hag is due to be officially unveiled as United’s new manager at a press conference on Monday.
The 52-year-old has signed a three-year contract, with the option for a fourth, and immediately turned his attention to United after skipping Ajax’s post-season trip to Curacao.
