Disappointment for Ten Hag as former senior colleague rejects Manchester United chance

Dutch football coach Fred Rutten has revealed he rejected the chance to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant manager at Manchester United.

Ten Hag was last month confirmed as the successor to interim boss Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford and will officially take charge in the coming weeks.

The current Ajax manager is assembling his backroom team, but he was unable to persuade Rutten to join him at Manchester United.

Rutten will instead join Ruud van Nistelrooy at PSV Eindhoven —— one of several former clubs.

“Erik ten Hag has asked me to be his assistant at Manchester United,” Rotten said. “I said no.

“Everyone makes his own choices in life. I have a family, I have grandchildren that I want to see. This type of project, I felt uncomfortable with it.”

Rutten, who employed Ten Hag as his assistant at both Twente and PSV Eindhoven, added:

“At Manchester United you get on a train and you can’t get off it. I want to feel comfortable in something you step into. That is the case with PSV.

“It’s nice when you have grandchildren, who you see every now and then and who can play ball with.”

Former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, ex-Red Devils coach Steve McClaren and Ajax assistant Mitchell van der Gaag are other reported candidates to work as Ten Haag’s right-hand man