Erik ten Hag challenges Man Utd youngsters to earn pre-season chances
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has challenged the young players named in his pre-season tour squad to ‘show themselves’ and earn a permanent place in the first-team.
Ten Hag has chosen a number of emerging talents for the trip that is starting in Thailand and will soon move to Australia. That includes the likes of Argentine prodigy, Alejandro Garnacho, Hannibal Mejbri, Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal, the returning James Garner and more.
The Dutch coach has a reputation for developing talent, having built the core of his Ajax side that went within a kick of the 2019 Champions League final with home-grown players.
There are likely to be opportunities for United’s next generation to play during the upcoming friendlies against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, but only if they prove to Ten Hag that they deserve to feature.
“What I want to see is that they learn but also they show themselves because they have to deserve a position in top football,” the boss told ManUtd.com.
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“You have to deserve your position. It means you have to deliver every day, that demands a certain style, a certain way of life that they have to adapt to, that they probably don’t know yet. But I am really looking forward to seeing if they can do it.
“I hope one or two, they can prove themselves and they come into the squad but, if they want to enter the dressing room, they have to deserve it.”
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