Erik ten Hag is BACK! Ex-Man Utd manager lands surprise new job in different role five months on from three-match spell as Bayer Leverkusen boss

Ten Hag was dismissed by Leverkusen only three matches into the 2025-26 season, though he was linked with other managerial jobs soon after leaving the BayArena. He was considered by Premier League strugglers Wolves as a replacement for Vitor Pereira following a dreadful beginning to the campaign, while a return to the dugout at Ajax was also on the cards before he turned the Amsterdam giants down.

On Tuesday, Twente confirmed that Ten Hag will begin working with the club again from February, before officially taking on the job of technical director from the start of the 2026-27 season.

A statement from Twente read: "Erik ten Hag (55) will join FC Twente on February 1st. He signs a contract until mid-2028. Starting in the 2026-2027 season, Ten Hag will succeed current technical director Jan Streuer, who recently announced his retirement after this season. Ten Hag will already be working in FC Twente's football organisation towards the new season.

"Ten Hag returns to the club where he began his professional career. He enjoyed great success as a player at FC Twente and held his first coaching positions there."

Ten Hag said: "I think it's wonderful and special to return to FC Twente, where I've been a supporter at Het Diekman since I was a young boy. My football and coaching careers began here. With my experience in youth development, team building, and elite sports culture, I want to strengthen FC Twente's technical foundation together with the Supervisory Board, management, and staff, so the club can sustainably realise its potential as a regional flagship."

Twente general manager Dominique Scholten said: "We are delighted to welcome Erik ten Hag to FC Twente. Starting next season, Erik will succeed Jan Streuer, who has made a significant contribution to FC Twente's current status over the past five and a half years. We owe Jan a great deal of gratitude for that.

"Erik has an incredible track record in football, and his bond with FC Twente has always remained very strong. At FC Twente, he served as youth coach, head of academy, and assistant coach, and subsequently as head coach and technical manager at renowned clubs, both nationally and internationally. We've been in regular contact over the past few months, and our conversations quickly revealed a strong ambition to further develop FC Twente. This ambition aligns with the strategy we recently presented. We are raising the bar and further professionalising the football organisation. We took the first step in this direction last year with the arrival of Tim Gilissen."

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While still manager at Old Trafford, Ten Hag's United came up against Twente during the league phase of the 2024-25 Europa League. A 1-1 draw in Manchester proved to be one of his final games in charge.

"I would have preferred to have played against somebody else [other than Twente]. It's not nice to have to hurt something you love," Ten Hag said prior to that encounter.

"Well, there's a great deal of connections to and fro between MUFC and FC Twente. Between me and Rene Hake, me and Ruud [van Nistelrooy]. Also, connections forged through the various Ajax players we've all been involved with."

It was reported back in September that Twente had even considered rehiring Ten Hag as a manager, and those links intensified when he was spotted attending their Eredivisie clash with fellow former side Ajax a month later. However, he will instead serve in a different role back at the club he loves.

Ten Hag was succeeded at United in November 2024 by Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim. He was sacked by the club on Monday morning, and one of Ten Hag's predecessors, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is now in the frame to return to Old Trafford on an interim basis.