DONNY VAN DE BEEK was evasive when asked about his struggles at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman, 27, left Old Trafford in the summer after four difficult years.
Van de Beek had excelled at Ajax under Erik ten Hag, earning rave reviews for his performances in the Eredivisie and Champions League.
United shelled out £39million to sign him in September 2020, but the move did not work out.
Having struggled for game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, Van de Beek returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 following a loan spell at Everton, with his old boss Ten Hag having joined.
His fortunes scarcely improved, however, as he started just one Premier League match under his Dutch compatriot before suffering a devastating knee injury in January 2023.
Van de Beek went on to make just two more appearances for United before being loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt in January, then leaving permanently for Girona in the summer.
While speaking to The Athletic from his new club’s Catalan training ground, Van de Beek was asked about the differences between his experiences under Ten Hag at Ajax and Man Utd.
Shying away from the question, he said: “I don’t know… I think it’s difficult. Should we move on to the next subject?”
Van de Beek denied that pressure is the root cause of United’s struggles, but did express sympathy for his former team-mates.
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He said: “I think it’s difficult. I was there, so I know it’s not easy for the players. They are still very good players when you see them all. It’s not easy to see them in this situation.
“I know they can do it, but it is not easy with everyone, and for the players… I hope they can change this situation.”
Van de Beek joined Girona in the summer for an initial £417,000, although this fee could potentially rise to £7.5million.
Having been eased in at first by boss Michel, he has begun to establish himself at Montilivi, playing his first full 90 minutes as Girona beat Athletic Bilbao before the international break.
He also recently scored his first goal in more than two years during his side’s Champions League home debut against Feyenoord.
On how he felt as the ball hit the net, Van de Beek admitted: “It was so good. It gives you confidence as a player to live these kinds of moments. You feel again the adrenaline in your body and feel that if you were tired before, now you are not any more.”
‘DIFFICULT TIMES’
Asked about how his new home differs from his previous clubs, Van de Beek said: “Here, everyone is really close, they all know each other, this is quite different from what I’ve seen in the past.
“It’s nice to see how they all try to help and make you feel as if you were at home. They have the ambition to improve. I think all this helps me, too.
“The football part always has to be right, but this was also a very important element given the moment of my career. I have had some difficult times in recent years.”
Van de Beek now plays alongside plenty of players that Premier League fans will be familiar with at Girona.
His fellow ex-United star Daley Blind is among their ranks, as well as former Tottenham quartet Paulo Gazzaniga, Arnaut Danjuma, Bryan Gil and Pau Lopez.
Having not been picked for his country since 2021, Van de Beek will return to club action against Real Sociedad tomorrow, following the conclusion of the international break.
He will then have another opportunity to shine in Europe on Tuesday, as Girona host Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.
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Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.
Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.
Gareth Southgate
Enjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.
Kieran McKenna
Talks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.
Roberto De Zerbi
Allegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.
Thomas Frank
Brentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.
Marco Silva
Fulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
Fell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Thomas Tuchel
Made a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.
Roberto Martinez
Portugal manager was considered in the early stages.
