Manchester United have confirmed the appointments of Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren as members of the backroom team at Old Trafford following Erik ten Hag’s appointment as manager.
The Red Devils confirmed the news in a club statement as they prepared to unveil Ten Hag following the end of their season.
“Welcome to United, Mitchell… and welcome back, Steve!” Man United’s statement read.
Van der Gaag worked as Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax where the two men won three Dutch titles together, while the former Ajax coach was McClaren’s No 2 at FC Twente. Ten Hag brought the former England manager to United to offer advice on the club and English football in general.
“I thought I worked hard until I met Erik,” said McClaren recently.
“His great strength lies not just in his attention to detail and organisation.
“He has a clear philosophy of how he wants to play football; the environment he wants to create.”
Meanwhile, McClaren returns to Old Trafford more than two decades after he served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant in United’s Treble winning season.
The trio were in the stands at Selhurst Park to watch Manchester United’s last game of the season; a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
