Erik ten Hag makes sad admission as Manchester United head back to his routes

Erik ten Hag has made a sad admission as he prepares Manchester United to face FC Twente in their opening Europa League game against FC Twente.

Following mixed results in the Premier League and a thumping Carabao Cup third-round win, Manchester United are preparing to enter their third competition of the season.

Following a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, United will welcome FC Twente to Old Trafford in their opening game of the Europa League season.

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Ten Hag’s men will play eight games in the league stage of the competition. Those who finish towards the top of the table will progress into the knockout rounds.

Although this will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides, the Dutchman is no stranger to the Eredivisie club, having spent three stints at the side as a centre-back, making 257 appearances between 1989-2002.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag admitted that playing FC Twenty is “not nice”, considering he is still a fan of the club and has followed them as a supporter since his retirement.

“I would have preferred to play against somebody else. It’s not nice to hurt something you love,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning.

“Of all the teams, Twente is the team I follow the most. I watch them as a fan, as a supporter, not as an analyst. It’s a different way of watching their games.

“Twente brought me a lot; I was put through their academy, so for me, a great deal of history there.”

United’s men will aim to kick off a winning start in the competition. Although United will aim to win the trophy, Ten Hag has stated that they are not looking too far into the future.

“There are more roads to achieve the targets you want. Most difficult, probably,” he explained.

“That is, in the end, a knock-out stage, but we don’t look too far ahead. We have to go game-by-game. It’s a target, and it’s a road we want to go.”

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