Erik ten Hag showed his true colours with comments to Man Utd fans after he was sacked

Following his swift dismissal at Bayer Leverkusen having only been in the job for a matter of weeks, fans have been reminded of Erik ten Hag’s response to his exit at Manchester United last year

Less than a year after being sacked by Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has faced the axe once more at Bayer Leverkusen. And the Dutchman has been dismissed in record time after overseeing just two Bundesliga games before being shown the exit.

Ten Hag’s only win at Leverkusen came in the DFB-Pokal, with his side sat 12th in the league after failing to win either of their opening two fixtures. At Old Trafford, it felt things couldn’t get any worse for Ten Hag after leading United to what was then their record-lowest Premier League finish – but they just have.

The 55-year-old was given the boot by United just a few months after winning the FA Cup and guiding the team to eighth in the league. And given successor Ruben Amorim’s struggles for consistency since replacing him last year, there are those who may even wish Ten Hag kept his place.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag brutally sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just TWO league games in chargeREAD MORE: Man Utd saved millions due to contract clause in deal for record deadline day signing

Some may have felt those same pangs of regret after reading Ten Hag’s address to the fans following his dismissal. The former Ajax and Utrecht chief penned an open letter to United’s supporters soon after he was sacked, detailing just what it meant to represent the Red Devils during his two-year tenure.

« Dear fans, let me start by thanking you, » started the message, which was published by his representatives, SEG. « Thank you for always being there for the club. Whether it was at a game far away or a tough match at Old Trafford, your support has been unshakeable. The atmosphere at Old Trafford has always been electrifying, thanks to you. »

Ten Hag went on to celebrate the fans for their constant support and « taking over opponents’ stadiums (sic). » And he also cherished the « sense of unity » he felt from Red Devils supporters no matter where he is in the world, whether that be in England or overseas.

« That’s what makes United supporters so special, » he continued, showing his classy character. « I want to thank you for giving me this feeling and for your support. I also want to thank the staff in every department of the club for their unwavering support in good times and bad.

« We won two trophies – achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Of course, my dream was to bring more trophies to the cabinet. Unfortunately, that dream has come to an end.

« I wish all Manchester United fans nothing but success, trophies and glory. Your support and the warmth I received from everyone at the club helped me feel at home. Thank you for this chapter in my life. Erik. »

Ten Hag is the third former United manager to have faced the sack in less than a week. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was recently fired by Besiktas, while Fenerbahce axed Jose Mourinho several days ago.

The former has yet to release a similar statement regarding his dismissal from the BayArena. Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes said « nobody wanted to take this step » but that persevering with the current setup was unfeasible.

« A parting of ways at this early stage of the season is painful, but we felt it was necessary, » added Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro. « We remain committed to achieving our goals for the season – and to do that, we need the best possible conditions at all levels and across the entire first team. Now it’s a matter of fully implementing and utilising these conditions again. »

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