Man Utd flop Donny van de Beek shuts down reporter when asked about struggles under Ten Hag

DONNY VAN DE BEEK was evasive when asked about his struggles at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman, 27, left Old Trafford in the summer after four difficult years.

Getty

Donny van de Beek scarcely played for United under Erik ten Hag[/caption]

Getty

The midfielder also worked under Ten Hag at Ajax[/caption]

Van de Beek had excelled at Ajax under Erik ten Hag, earning rave reviews for his performances in the Eredivisie and Champions League.

United shelled out £39million to sign him in September 2020, but the move did not work out.

Having struggled for game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, Van de Beek returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 following a loan spell at Everton, with his old boss Ten Hag having joined.

His fortunes scarcely improved, however, as he started just one Premier League match under his Dutch compatriot before suffering a devastating knee injury in January 2023.

Van de Beek went on to make just two more appearances for United before being loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt in January, then leaving permanently for Girona in the summer.

While speaking to The Athletic from his new club’s Catalan training ground, Van de Beek was asked about the differences between his experiences under Ten Hag at Ajax and Man Utd.

Shying away from the question, he said: “I don’t know… I think it’s difficult. Should we move on to the next subject?”

Van de Beek denied that pressure is the root cause of United’s struggles, but did express sympathy for his former team-mates.

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

He said: “I think it’s difficult. I was there, so I know it’s not easy for the players. They are still very good players when you see them all. It’s not easy to see them in this situation.

“I know they can do it, but it is not easy with everyone, and for the players… I hope they can change this situation.”

Van de Beek joined Girona in the summer for an initial £417,000, although this fee could potentially rise to £7.5million.

Having been eased in at first by boss Michel, he has begun to establish himself at Montilivi, playing his first full 90 minutes as Girona beat Athletic Bilbao before the international break.

He also recently scored his first goal in more than two years during his side’s Champions League home debut against Feyenoord.

On how he felt as the ball hit the net, Van de Beek admitted: “It was so good. It gives you confidence as a player to live these kinds of moments. You feel again the adrenaline in your body and feel that if you were tired before, now you are not any more.”

‘DIFFICULT TIMES’

Asked about how his new home differs from his previous clubs, Van de Beek said: “Here, everyone is really close, they all know each other, this is quite different from what I’ve seen in the past.

“It’s nice to see how they all try to help and make you feel as if you were at home. They have the ambition to improve. I think all this helps me, too.

“The football part always has to be right, but this was also a very important element given the moment of my career. I have had some difficult times in recent years.”

Van de Beek now plays alongside plenty of players that Premier League fans will be familiar with at Girona.

His fellow ex-United star Daley Blind is among their ranks, as well as former Tottenham quartet Paulo Gazzaniga, Arnaut Danjuma, Bryan Gil and Pau Lopez.

Having not been picked for his country since 2021, Van de Beek will return to club action against Real Sociedad tomorrow, following the conclusion of the international break.

He will then have another opportunity to shine in Europe on Tuesday, as Girona host Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.

Rex

Van de Beek recently scored his first goal in more than two years[/caption]