(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Manchester United on Thursday officially announced that manager Erik ten Hag has signed a new contract, extending his tenure at the club until June 2026. The Dutchman, who joined United two years ago, expressed his delight at the agreement and emphasized the unity and commitment within the club to achieve their ambitious goals.

“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together,” the Dutchman told the club's official website.

“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.
However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles," the
54-year-old added.

“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together," he further stated.

Ten Hag's new contract comes after a mixed two-year spell at Old Trafford. In his first season, he guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League and secured the Carabao Cup. Although the second season saw the team finish 8th, they ended on a high note with a victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

New sporting director Dan Ashworth added, "With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football."

"While the club's review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes. This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently.
With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club," Ashworth added.

Additionally, United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has been tipped to join ten Hag's backroom staff this summer, further bolstering the coaching team as they aim to bring more success to Old Trafford.

The extension of ten Hag's contract signals Manchester United's intent to build on recent successes and strive for higher achievements in both domestic and European competitions. Fans will be eagerly anticipating the upcoming season as ten Hag and his team continue their pursuit of glory.

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