Erik ten Hag 'absolutely determined' to halt Manchester United decline

Erik ten Hag said he is "absolutely determined" to bring success back to Manchester United after the Ajax boss was confirmed on Thursday as the troubled club's new manager from next season. Ten Hag, who has signed a three-year contract, faces a huge task to revive United after a fifth consecutive trophyless campaign. The 52-year-old Dutchman becomes the fifth permanent manager at Old Trafford since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 sent the 20-time English champions into a shocking decline.

Ten Hag is on course to win his third league title with Ajax and took the Dutch club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019 for the first time in 22 years. Breaking Manchester City and Liverpool's stranglehold on the top prizes will be a massive test of Ten Hag's abilities, but he is looking forward to the challenge. "It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead," he said.

"I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve. "It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United." United sit sixth in the Premier League, 23 points behind leaders Manchester City, and are unlikely to qualify for next season's Champions League. The club have been looking for a permanent manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in October.