Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana has acknowledged that he had a close relationship with Erik ten Hag but refrained from calling the Dutchman his ‘footballing uncle.’
Last season, Ten Hag made the decision to let David de Gea finish out his contract. And Onana was found to be the ideal replacement for the experienced Spaniard.
After spending £47 million to sign Onana from Inter Milan, it was anticipated that he would revolutionize build-up play. However, Onana’s first few months in Manchester were unsatisfactory. And during the Champions League group stage, he committed several costly mistakes.
The 27-year-old has, however, shown indications of growth as the campaign continues. And he has recovered to deliver impressive performances in 2024.
After their time at Ajax, Ten Hag and Onana teamed up again. According to Manchester Evening News, when the goalie was questioned by ESPN about whether the Dutchman was akin to a ‘footballing uncle,’ he replied: “Well, kind of.
“I’ll be honest, there is a strong connection, but not only with Erik, but with the whole club, you know?
“It was really nice because I received a lot of positive messages when I arrived here. When I was facing difficulty here, [the] message from the fans, United fans [across] the world, was like, ‘André, take your time. We know who you are and everything will be all right’.
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“They trust me and I was like, ‘Wow, I never had this before’. Most of the time [wherever] you go, when you don’t deliver in the beginning they’re straight.
“It is difficult. But here they were very nice to me and I think it’s time to maybe now start to pay that back.”
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