Everyone Can Make A Mistake – Ten Hag Backs Jadon Sancho

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag backs Jadon Sancho and is confident in his potential to “click” with the team following his return to the club.

This comes after a public fallout between the pair last season, which led to Sancho spending the second half of the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

Sancho made his first appearance for United since last August in a preseason friendly against Rangers on Saturday.

The winger had criticized Ten Hag in a social media post, but the two held a meeting earlier this month, paving the way for Sancho’s return to first-team training.

“We spoke well,” Ten Hag said before the friendly. “Everyone can make a mistake. If the player reflects on this well, you draw a line and move on. This club needs good players, and one thing is certain: Jadon Sancho is a very good player. I hope that we will still click and that he will contribute to our success.”

Ten Hag secured a new contract with Manchester United this summer. The former Ajax manager took over at Old Trafford in 2022 from interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who had indicated the need for major changes at the club to regain past glories.

“Rangnick was absolutely right,” Ten Hag added. “We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job.”

The structure around Ten Hag has evolved with Sir Jim Ratcliffe becoming a minority owner and the additions of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, Jason Wilcox as technical director, and Christopher Vivell as director of recruitment.

United have made signings this summer, including teenage French defender Leny Yoro and Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee.

United also remain interested in Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. While Ten Hag acknowledged knowing De Ligt well, he did not confirm whether the club would sign him.

“I will not specifically comment on whether or not we attract those two names,” Ten Hag said. “It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that.”