Erik ten Hag has given John Murtough and Richard Arnold their Manchester United blueprint

When Erik ten Hag wrapped up his third Eredivisie title with Ajax last Wednesday one of the first people he messaged was the club's former director of football Marc Overmars.

"This championship is also his championship" was Ten Hag's message about Overmars, who was forced to quit the club in February after sending 'inappropriate messages' to female colleagues.

Overmars has since taken up a role at Antwerp but Ten Hag hasn't forgotten the role he played in building Ajax's teams. "We built this team together," he said.

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Ten Hag was the final piece of the jigsaw in the rebuilding of Ajax. He might well have been the most important, but it was Overmars and chief executive Edwin van der Sar who laid the foundations for the manager to thrive.

Ten Hag and Overmars worked together initially at Go Ahead Eagles, where Overmars was involved in the ownership of the club and sat on the supervisory board to advise on technical matters. He took up the director of football post at Ajax in July 2012 and was reunited with Ten Hag in December 2017.

The two developed a close relationship in Amsterdam, which is why Ten Hag was so quick to praise Overmars for his contribution to the three Eredivisie titles even though he has now departed the club in disgrace.

Van der Sar also played a crucial role in the club's rise. He became chief executive in 2016 but two years later the club had gone four seasons without winning a trophy.

In 2018 he outlined his ambitions for the club, creating a clear philosophy. To become the dominant force in the Netherlands, - on and off the pitch - combining exciting academy prospects with clever use of the transfer market and reestablishing