I left Erik ten Hag at Man United to become a manager - now I'm on the brink of MLS glory

There was an element of surprise in February when it was confirmed Eric Ramsay, who had no previous managerial experience, was appointed as manager of Minnesota United.

Having previously worked in the youth setup at Shrewsbury Town and Chelsea, Ramsay had been part of Manchester United's backroom staff since 2021, working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, and was an assistant first-team coach when the chance to move to MLS presented itself.

While some on the outside may have raised their eyebrows, those within the game were not surprised. Ramsay was a respected member of the staff within the United changing room, and had been credited with being in charge of the club's set-piece routines.

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Indeed, Christian Eriksen credited Ramsay with the credit for a well-worked Marcus Rashford goal against Nottingham Forest last season and Ten Hag placed a lot of trust in the 32-year-old despite inheriting him as part of his staff.

So much so that when Ramsay was linked with the Blackpool job last season, Ten Hag was believed to have been pleased when he opted against the role.

But it wasn't going to be much longer before he took the step up to management. Former Wales boss Rob Page, who had worked with him in the national team setup, described him as one of the brightest young coaches in the game.

So when Minnesota United came calling, Ramsay, who had worked alongside Kieran McKenna at Loughborough University and United, and then watched his former colleague excel as a manager for Ipswich Town, wanted to finally take the plunge for himself.

Ramsay has spoken about how all three of Solskjaer, Rangnick and Ten Hag were excellent communicators and held an 'unwavering conviction' in