Ten Hag laughs as Mainoo credits him with shaping his rise at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag laughed and responded with glowing praise after being told that Kobbie Mainoo had credited his demanding training regime as a key factor in the midfielder’s development at Manchester United.

Mainoo, speaking to former Netherlands international Clarence Seedorf, recalled being brought into first-team sessions at 16 and 17 years old under ten Hag and assistant Mitchell van der Gaag. “The training was tough,” Mainoo said. “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, who gave Mainoo his senior debut in January 2023, was clearly moved by the tribute. “Kobbie is, for me, special,” the Dutchman told The Athletic. “A lot of people were building him, supporting him. But in the end, he’s doing it by himself.”

The former United boss also explained the deliberate challenge he set for the then-teenage midfielder. “The first time I saw him, playing for the second team, I thought, ‘OK, he’s an amazing talent’. But he was too easy,” ten Hag said. “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.”

Mainoo went on to become one of the standout performers of ten Hag’s second season in charge, earning widespread recognition as one of the Premier League’s most promising young midfielders.

The warmth of the exchange sits in sharp contrast to ten Hag’s more turbulent relationships at Old Trafford. The 56-year-old has recently hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed he did not respect the manager before his United contract was terminated in November 2022. Ten Hag has alleged that Ronaldo did not work hard enough in training, a charge that has further inflamed their public dispute.

Despite winning the League Cup in his first season and the FA Cup in 2024 — defeating Manchester City in the final — ten Hag was sacked after almost two and a half years in charge, with United enduring one of their most difficult Premier League campaigns in recent memory. Mainoo’s tribute offers a reminder that, for at least some of the squad, the Dutchman’s methods left a lasting mark.