- A former Red Devils star revealed how Erik ten Hag is behind the scenes
- The midfielder made seven appearances for the first team before leaving in 2022
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A former Manchester United player tells what life is like at Old Trafford, under the guidance of Erik ten Hag.
The midfielder says the Dutch coach runs things tightly and that he implements his regime ‘strictly’.
He indicated that Ten Hag is a ‘very approachable man’, but also ‘very strict’, and that he does not mince his words.
And that was also evident when the player in question sat down with Ten Hag for the first time to discuss his future at the club.
James Garner says he felt like his ‘days were numbered’ after speaking to the Red Devils manager when he joined the club in the summer of 2022.
Erik ten Hag has been described as a ‘very approachable’ but ‘very strict’ manager at Old Trafford
James Garner was a product of the Man United youth academy and played seven times for the club
Garner left Old Trafford after a ‘candid conversation’ with Erik ten Hag in 2022
“Ten Hag is a very approachable man, but he is also very strict,” Garner said, according to the Manchester Evening News.
“He doesn’t accept that anyone breaks the rules. He tells it like it is and punishes people when they do something wrong.
‘My conversation with him was easy. I just asked him if I would be in the selection or if he saw me playing a role.
I felt like the conversation wasn’t going as well as I wanted and decided to move.
‘Nothing is promised in football, but when they sign three or four midfielders, you realise where you stand.
‘It was a decision I wanted to make straight away when I returned: to play for the first team somewhere else.’
Garner (right) has made 53 Premier League appearances for Everton since 2022, scoring once
Garner made seven appearances for his boyhood club, where he played for thirteen years.
He came through the Red Devils’ youth ranks and was loaned to Watford and Nottingham Forest during his career.
It was his second loan spell at Forest that attracted the attention of several Premier League teams.
The midfielder played a key role in the club’s promotion to the top division in the 2021-2022 season.