- United manager will strengthen the squad to cement his position
- Listen to It’s all about to begin! EUROS DAILY: How big a risk is it for England to play with three men at the back?
Erik ten Hag is wasting no time in reshaping Manchester United’s entire defensive staff in his own image after signing goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar from Burnley.
Ten Rouwelaar has been brought in to work with United goalkeepers Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton ahead of the new season.
The move marks Ten Hag’s new lease on life as United manager, after his contract was extended until 2026. Further changes to the squad and staff are expected.
Ten Rouwelaar’s transfer did not go without a hitch. The Dutchman was originally expected to sign for Ajax two months ago.
His move has been uncertain since the departure of Burnley’s former manager Vincent Kompany, who surprisingly left for Bayern Munich last month.
Erik ten Hag has signed goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar from Burnley
United are working on a compensation package with Ajax and reportedly want to complete the deal as soon as possible.
Ten Rouwelaar is seen as a modern goalkeeping coach, who trains his goalkeepers to pass the ball from the back.
The 43-year-old played a crucial role in Kompany’s team that won the championship in the 2022-23 season. He was coach of Arijanet Muric during the season.
Jim Ratcliffe gave Ten Hag a contract extension in a move he hopes will transform the team
Kompany brought Ten Rouwelaar from Anderlecht in 2020 when he was manager there, and brought him to Burnley in 2022. Ten Rouwelaar also coached the Netherlands Under-20 team during the 2018-19 season.
United’s current goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis is leaving the club this summer. Hartis joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019 but is leaving as his contract expires.
This is Hartis’ second spell at the club. He was initially responsible for the youth academy goalkeepers and at the end of the 2007-2008 season he was responsible for the first team.
