After being fired as manager of Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has returned to his hometown to nurse his wounds, according to MailOnline.
Ten Hag hurried to Manchester Airport as soon as he was informed that his two-and-a-half-year contract with United was ending, where a private Cessna Citation plane was ready to return him to the Netherlands.
Erik ten Hag has been consoled by his parents in his hometown
Ten Hag has recently been mocked after his former side’s 5-2 win over Leicester City last night
The 54-year-old was visited by his parents Hennie and Joke at his £1m three storey home
And within hours of being fired he had travelled some 500 miles back to the comfort of his other home in a small Dutch town where his extended family lives.
And last night the 54-year-old was consoled by his parents Hennie and Joke who visited their son at his £1m modern three storey home near the centre of Oldenzaal.
It’s believed that after his dismissal on Monday the Dutchman didn’t even return to his UK base but raced straight to the jet that was waiting to fly him to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
There a car was waiting to drive him to Oldenzaal, and his five bedroom home there.
Ten Hag didn’t wait around for his wife Bianca or their three children.
It’s understood they remained behind at his home in Cheshire where Bianca will sort out admin matters before joining him in the Netherlands.
The town that he raced back to is Oldenzaal a town of 31,000 residents near the Dutch-German border
That, according to friends and neighbours, is where he not only grew up but also feels most comfortable.
Ten Hag and his wife Bianca would often return to the tranquil town where almost everyone cycles to escape the pressures of running one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
It is also a place where despite his fame from previously managing the Netherland’s top team Ajax and then with United being paid £7.8m a year, he can walk about with relative anonymity.
On being told that his two and half year tenure at United was being terminated, Ten Hag immediately raced to Manchester Airport where a private jet took him back to Oldenzaal, Netherlands, via Schipol airport
According to friends and neighbours, Oldenzaal is where the ex-Manchester United manager feels most comfortable
One resident said of Ten Hag’s hometown: ‘He likes it here as he is not bothered by anyone’
One neighbour said: ‘It’s no surprise that Erik was visited by Hennie and Joke.
‘They are a close family and his parents are very proud and very, very supportive.
‘In fact everyone around Oldenzaal is very proud of him and very respectful of the ten Hags.
‘He can relax and feel like he has his privacy when he is here – and I’m sure that’s very different to what he experienced in Manchester and why he was quick to return.’
Ten Hag was sacked after a disastrous start to the season with United placed 14th in the Premier League.
A 2-1 defeat to West Ham at the weekend was the final straw for United’s board of directors and the shaky tenure at Old Trafford came to a close.
One consolation is an exit package of around £13.5m having signed a new two year contract in the summer.
The decision to sack Ten Hag – who was only given a contract extension in July and spending over £600m in transfer fees – was described as ‘difficult and finely balanced’ by United’s bosses.
Club insiders have said Ten Hag was ‘taken aback’ by the timing of his ousting having survived a review of his position before the start of the season when he was given the contract extension until 2026.
He has since been mocked online by United fans following their 5-2 win in the Carabao cup over Leicester City.
Residents of Oldenzaal showed their gratitude to Ten Hag since many of them had fond recollections of him from his playing days with the local team Twente in the nearby city of Enschede.
After playing 160 games for the squad, he became a coach in their youth department.
Ten Hag replaced Ralf Rangnick in 2022 after a string of interim jobs, finally taking over Holland’s top team, Ajax, which caught United’s attention as they looked to replicate the glory days under Alex Ferguson.
Ten Hag and his wife, Bianca, would frequently retreat to the little town of Ajax to escape the stresses of Amsterdam life. The house was just a short walk from the contemporary town center.
Ten Hag cycling with wife Bianca in Cheshire in happier times – in September 2022