Erik Ten Hag is being consoled by his parents in Dutch hometown after flying out of UK on private jet as soon as he was sacked by Manchester United – leaving wife and their three children behind
Erik ten Hag has retreated to his hometown to lick his wounds after being sacked as Manchester United manager, MailOnline can reveal.
When told his two-and-a-half-year tenure at United was being ended, Ten Hag immediately raced to Manchester Airport, where a private Cessna Citation jet was waiting to take him back to the Netherlands.
And within hours of his discharge, he had traveled 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 comforted by his parents Hennie and Joke who visited their son at his modern, three-storey £1 million home near the center of Oldenzaal.
It is believed that the Dutchman did not even return to his British base after being discharged on Monday, but ran straight to the plane waiting to take him to Amsterdam airport.
Erik ten Hag has been comforted by his parents in his hometown of Oldenzaal, Netherlands, after being fired by Manchester United. He was seen yesterday with his father Hennie
Ten Hag was recently mocked after his former team’s 5-2 win over Leicester City last night
The 54-year-old was visited by his parents Hennie and Joke at his £1million three-storey home
A car was waiting there to take him to Oldenzaal and there to his house with five bedrooms.
Ten Hag did not wait for his wife Bianca or their three children.
It is understood they have remained at his home in Cheshire, where Bianca will sort out administrative matters before joining him in the Netherlands.
The city he ran back to is Oldenzaal, a city with 31,000 inhabitants near the Dutch-German border
According to friends and neighbors, that is the place where he not only grew up, but also feels most comfortable.
Ten Hag and his wife Bianca often returned to the quiet 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 as manager of top Dutch team Ajax and when United were paid £7.8 million a year, he can walk in relative anonymity.
When told his two-and-a-half-year tenure at United was being ended, Ten Hag immediately raced to Manchester Airport, where a private jet took him back to Oldenzaal, Netherlands, via Schiphol Airport.
According to friends and neighbors, Oldenzaal is the place where the ex-Manchester United manager feels most comfortable
A resident says about his hometown of Ten Hag: ‘He likes it here because no one bothers him’
A neighbor says: ‘It is no surprise that Erik was visited by Hennie and Joke.
‘They are a close family and his parents are very proud and very supportive.
‘In fact, everyone in 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’s here. I’m sure that’s very different to what he experienced in Manchester and why he came back so quickly.’
Ten Hag was sacked after a disastrous start to the season, with United finishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
A 2-1 defeat to West Ham last weekend was the last straw for United’s board and the shaky spell at Old Trafford came to an end.
One consolation is an exit package of around £13.5m after a new two-year contract was signed in the summer.
The decision to sack Ten Hag – who was only given a contract extension in July and had spent more than £600m on transfer fees – was described by United bosses as ‘difficult and well balanced’.
Locals said the slow pace of life, with cycling being the main mode of transport and the city center being car-free, provides the perfect escape from the pressures of football management
In the photo: the city where former Manchester Utd manager Erik Ten Hag has returned after his recent dismissal
Club insiders say Ten Hag was ‘surprised’ by the timing of his departure, 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 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City.
Residents of Oldenzaal expressed their admiration for Ten Hag, as many fondly remember him from his playing days with local team Twente in the nearby city of Enschede.
He eventually played 160 games for the club and later started his coaching career with their youth academy.
Ten Hag later took over Dutch top team Ajax, which brought him to the attention of United as they looked to replace Ralf Rangnick in 2022 after several interim appointments to try to recapture the glory days under Alex Ferguson.
While at Ajax, Ten Hag and his wife Bianca often returned to the small town to escape the pressures of life in Amsterdam, in the house a short walk from the modern city center.
Ten Hag cycles with wife Bianca in Cheshire in happier times – in September 2022
Ten Hag left his post at United and was fourteenth in the Premier League
It is understood Ten Hag’s family have remained in Britain while wife Bianca takes care of administrative matters before joining him in the Netherlands
Locals said the slow pace of life, with cycling being the main mode of transport and the city center being car-free, provides the perfect escape from the pressures of football management.
“Most people know Erik from his time as Ajax manager and it was big news when he went to Manchester United,” says a local shopkeeper.
‘Being fired was no surprise because the results were bad. There is a lot of sympathy for him. The team is not doing well, but he is welcome here.’
Another resident says: ‘He likes it here because no one bothers him.
‘A lot of people have been following what he has done as Manchester United are such a big club and we hear all about what they do.
‘Of course, because he lives in England, he hasn’t had the chance to spend much time here, but when he does, he isn’t bothered and can relax.’