04 January 2024 , 10:36
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Donny van de Beek has taken a swipe at Erik ten Hag after being handed the opportunity to kickstart his career away from Manchester United.
The Dutch midfielder, 26, has endured a frustrating three-and-a-half year stint at Old Trafford since leaving Ajax in the summer of 2020 having failed to establish himself under three separate managers - including Ten Hag, who worked with him at his former club.
After failing to agree to a transfer in the summer, Van de Beek linked up with Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this week on a six-month loan deal which could yet become permanent if he impresses in Germany.
And he was quick to stress that he's ready to make an instant impact after being ignored by Ten Hag during his final months at Manchester United.
During his unveiling in Germany, Van de Beek was asked about his challenging spell in England and replied: "If you don't play as many games as you want, it's tough, but that's the past now. I'm here now and I'm positive, which is the most important thing and then things can change.
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"I'm looking forward now. I think it helps when you play with players [at United] who have achieved a lot and have experience. You see them in training every day, which helps develop you and I'll try to bring that here as well to help the team.
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Donny van de Beek has taken a subtle parting shot at Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (Manchester United FC)"I've seen a lot in football now and hope to be able to pass on some of it on here. If the coach puts me on the field, I'll of course be ready. I'm fit, I played a few friendlies in the training ground. I know that's different, but I trained hard in Manchester.
"I feel good. Of course, you also need match practice to get to your best level, but I'm fit and this is the most important thing."
United are braced to take a huge financial hit on offloading Van de Beek for good per the terms of their agreement with Frankfurt. The midfielder, who was signed for £40million, will be allowed to sign permanently for just just £12.1m. That deal would see United bank a paltry £9.5m up front with a further £2.6m in potential add-ons, according to The Mail.