This year's pre-season for Manchester United is an important one for many players.
Erik ten Hag has arrived at the club with an open mind and no predeterminations. He’s underlined that everyone in the squad is starting with a clean slate as the club tries to quickly forget about last season.
It means places are up for grabs which should motivate a number of players who underperformed in 2021/22. Some were accused of showcasing a negative attitude throughout the tough campaign.
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But one player who arguably did not fall foul of this was Donny van de Beek. The midfielder was shunned by both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, with many fans wondering why.
In the end, he secured a January loan move to Everton. The former Champions League semi-finalist found himself in the midst of a relegation battle but earned regular game time before being ruled out for two months with a thigh injury.
But his loan move showed he still has the hunger for game time and has the right mentality. Van de Beek demonstrated this in an interview when he first signed for United in 2020.
He recognised that he would have to earn his place at United, declaring he was up the challenge. Speaking to De Telegraaf, he said: “I will start at zero again at Manchester United.
"That might seem sad, but I love it. If you start down the ladder you can begin to climb up again. It’s now up to me to see how high I can reach. And I see this as a challenge.”
It hasn't worked out for Van de Beek at United so far but his comments show he will be raring to go under Ten Hag. The Dutch coach knows how to get the best out of the 25-year-old from their title-winning time at Ajax. It should provide the confidence Van de Beek needs to kick on.
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