A Manchester United player has welcomed the “really valuable” experience they have had under Erik ten Hag during the first team’s pre-season tour this summer.
Erik ten Hag’s men kicked off their pre-season campaign earlier this month with a 1-0 defeat to Norwegian side Rosenborg at the Lerkendal Stadion.
However, Manchester United bounced back from the loss to Rosenborg and secured a 2-0 win over Scottish side Rangers at the Murrayfield Stadium in Scotland.
Ten Hag’s side have since travelled to the United States for the second leg of their tour, with the Red Devils in action against Premier League rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring in the first half against Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in California before the Denmark striker was withdrawn due to an injury.
However, Arsenal rallied back in the first half and former Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund’s opener.
Mikel Arteta’s men secured a 2-1 comeback win against United after Gabriel Martinelli found the back of the net in the 86th minute of the pre-season friendly.
Man Utd player sends message to Ten Hag
Manchester United have two matches remaining on their pre-season tour in the United States before their Community Shield clash against Manchester City.
The Red Devils will travel to the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, for their encounter with La Liga side Real Betis on Thursday.
United’s final match in the States for their pre-season tour will be against Premier League rivals Liverpool on Sunday at the Williams-Brice Stadium in South Carolina.
Erik ten Hag has been without several key first-team players for the pre-season tour after the 2024 Copa America in the United States and Euro 2024 in Germany.
United academy player Toby Collyer has been part of the pre-season campaign and benefited from his opportunities with the first-team squad this summer.
Toby Collyer has played in all three pre-season matches so far for United, including starting in the win over Rangers and the defeat to Arsenal.
Speaking on the pre-season campaign, he told Manchester United’s official website: “It’s really, really, really valuable.
“I think that’s what everyone wants to do. Everyone wants to be able to play in the first team.
“So, I think getting experiences like this in a stadium like this as well; it’s the top level, and obviously the opposition [was top level] as well today.
“So, I’m taking everything step by step and hopefully I’ll get many more opportunities to show what I can do.”
Collyer on Man Utd defeat to Arsenal
Toby Collyer played alongside Casemiro in midfield for the first half against Arsenal before he came off at half-time for Christian Eriksen.
The 20-year-old midfielder admitted that he was happy with how he performed against the Gunners, despite the defeat at the SoFi Stadium.
“It was a tough game, but I thought we did well as a team,” Collyer said.
“We did some good things, and [there are] some things to improve, but I thought we had the right attitude and we tried to do the best with what the manager was telling us to do.
“Was I pleased with how I played? Yeah, I thought I had an okay game.
“I thought there [were] a lot of things I could have done better, but it’s great to experience a game like today and I can take it into the next game, and even into training tomorrow.”
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