Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag was born on February 2, 1970, in Haaksbergen, Overijssel, Netherlands. His playing career primarily saw him as a centre-back for Dutch clubs such as Twente, De Graafschap, RKC Waalwijk, and Utrecht. He had three distinct stints with FC Twente and captained the side to win the KNVB Cup in the 2000–01 season. Earlier in his career, he also secured the Eerste Divisie title with De Graafschap in the 1990–91 season. Ten Hag retired from active playing in 2002 at the age of 32, concluding his career with Twente.

Following his retirement as a player, Erik ten Hag transitioned into coaching, beginning his managerial journey in 2012 with Eerste Divisie club Go Ahead Eagles, where he successfully guided them to promotion to the Eredivisie in his debut season. From 2013 to 2015, he managed Bayern Munich II, securing promotion to the Regionalliga Bayern in 2014. He returned to the Netherlands in 2015 to take on the roles of head coach and sporting director at FC Utrecht, leading the club to the KNVB Cup final in 2016 and securing a UEFA Europa League play-off spot.

In December 2017, ten Hag was appointed head coach of Ajax. During his tenure until 2022, he achieved significant success, winning three Eredivisie titles (2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22) and two KNVB Cups (2018–19, 2020–21), while also leading the team to the semi-finals of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. In 2022, he moved to Manchester United, where he promptly won the EFL Cup in his first season (2022–23) and the FA Cup in his second (2023–24). His tenure at Manchester United ended in October 2024, followed by a brief stint at Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, lasting only three matches before his dismissal.