Mitchell van der Gaag comment to Donny van de Beek overheard in Man Utd training

Erik ten Hag is almost at the end of his first working week at Manchester United, and it seems as though his assistant is already liking what he sees in Donny van de Beek.

United began pre-season training on Monday, and it was the first chance for new boss Ten Hag and his team to meet their new squad and begin to implement their measures. It would have been a first for many United stars who are getting used to another change of leadership, but for Van de Beek it was a trip down memory lane.

The Dutchman has been somewhat of an outcast ever since joining United from Ajax in 2020, but is expected to be unleashed again under Ten Hag. And assistant Mitchell van der Gaag has already been overheard praising the midfielder.

Footage of United's early training was released this week, and Van der Gaag was heard shouting: "Yes, Donny. Good work. Good work, Donny." The comment occurred during a high intensity passing drill, which seemed like a breeze for the Dutchman.

Almost 30 United players were out on the training pitch with Van de Beek, with the international stars set to join up with their team-mates for July 8. United fly out to Thailand and Australia for their pre-season tour, and it will be the perfect chance to impress the new boss.

Van de Beek will still have to prove his worth, but he will have some security due to his previous involvement with Ten Hag. The midfielder was one of the stars in his talented Ajax side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2019.

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