Erik ten Hag could make his return to management by taking a page out of the playbook of fellow former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.
The 56-year-old former Ajax and Manchester United manager is back at Dutch side Twente and is serving as a technical director at the Eredivisie club.
Erik ten Hag, who was axed from Old Trafford in 2024, has been out of the dugout since his ill-fated spell at Bayer Leverkusen ended with his sacking in 2025.
Journalist Nicolo Schira on X, formerly Twitter, has now said that Ten Hag is linked with the Netherlands managerial role alongside former Liverpool boss Arne Slot.
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1. Erik ten Hag is well-versed with the Dutch system of football — no different to Louis van Gaal
Erik ten Hag had plenty of Dutch managerial experience behind him before Manchester United brought him to the Premier League club back in 2022.
The former Man Utd boss’ runs at Go Ahead Eagles, Utrecht and Ajax all varied, but there is no denying that he is incredibly familiar with the style of Dutch football.
Ronald Koeman stepped down as Netherlands boss at the end of June after Oranje crashed out of the 2026 World Cup at the hands of Morocco in the round of 32.
Ten Hag feels like a natural pick to assume control of the Netherlands after Ronald Koeman and to build a new foundation for the Flying Dutchmen going forward.
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2. Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag found success at Ajax and understand the importance of a philosophy for the Netherlands
Louis van Gaal, who coached the Netherlands three times before he retired as a manager, had incredible success early in his managerial career in the Eredivisie.
The former Netherlands boss understood the core of the Ajax ‘DNA,’ which allowed him to lift three Eredivisie titles and a Champions League trophy with the club.
Ten Hag might not have found the exact same silverware success as Van Gaal, but the Dutchman understood the Ajax footballing philosophy at its very core.
The Netherlands have looked out of place outside of Van Gaal’s management and Ten Hag’s understanding of the Ajax philosophy could help instil a core philosophy again.
3. It’s not only Man Utd star Matthijs de Ligt, as Erik ten Hag is experienced with different Netherlands players
Matthijs de Ligt missed out on the World Cup after a major injury setback for the Manchester United defender during the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Ten Hag is all too familiar with Matthijs de Ligt from their prolific time at Ajax together, but the Twente technical director has worked with other stars.
Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Jurrien Timber all played under Ten Hag at Ajax, while the former Man Utd boss coached Wout Weghorst at Old Trafford.
While his reputation in management has taken a bit of a hit, Ten Hag could feel like a natural fit for crestfallen Netherlands players in the rebuild project after this summer’s World Cup.
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