Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag laughed after receiving praise from Kobbie Mainoo, who credited the Dutchman's tough training sessions for his development.
The 56-year-old handed Mainoo his United debut in January 2023, and the midfielder became a pivotal figure during Ten Hag's second campaign at the helm.
Mainoo's Praise for Ten Hag's Sessions
Speaking to Clarence Seedorf in an interview for Amazon Prime, Mainoo recalled training with the first team as a teenager.
"When I was 16, 17, I was training with the first team every day," Mainoo said. "With Raphael Varane, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes, the speed of the balls and trying to adjust was my main thing."
"I think the training was tough. When Erik ten Hag and Mitchell van der Gaag were here, the sessions were tough. They were some of the best sessions I've been a part of. The intensity and competitiveness of those sessions really helped me in that time."
Ten Hag's Response
Upon hearing Mainoo's comments, Ten Hag laughed and reciprocated the admiration for the academy product.
"Kobbie is, for me, special," Ten Hag told The Athletic. "A lot of people were building him, supporting him. But in the end, he's doing it by himself."
Regarding the standards he set for Mainoo during training, Ten Hag added: "The first time I saw him, playing for the second team, I thought, 'OK, he's an amazing talent'. But he was too easy. I saw that we needed him to get in a higher intensity. We started to bring him in drills where we challenged him on dynamics."
Ten Hag's Tenure at Old Trafford
Ten Hag was appointed ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, tasked with restoring United to their former heights after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked mid-season and Ralf Rangnick failed to secure Champions League football.
During his near two-and-a-half-year spell, the ex-Ajax manager won the Carabao Cup in his debut season and beat Manchester City to claim the FA Cup in 2024.
His time was also marked by prominent disputes with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. Ronaldo, speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, said: "I don't have respect for him (Ten Hag) because he doesn't show respect for me." Ten Hag has alleged that Ronaldo failed to put in sufficient effort during training, intensifying the dispute that led to the termination of Ronaldo's contract in November 2022.
In September 2023, Sancho was omitted from the matchday squad to face Arsenal, with Ten Hag citing the winger's training-ground displays. Sancho took to social media, insisting he had been "a scapegoat for a long time", before being sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund in January 2024.
