Erik ten Hag inspired by Sir Matt Busby! Man Utd boss pays tribute to club legend as Dutchman commits to 'always' developing young players during Old Trafford stint

The Dutchman revealed ahead of the clash against West Ham that he was inspired by the tale of Sir Busby. On Tuesday, United will honour the 66th anniversary of the disaster and pay tribute to the eight outstanding Busby Babes who lost their lives when their plane crashed on takeoff from a European Cup match in Belgrade following a refuelling stop in Bavaria. The disaster claimed the lives of twenty-three individuals, including eight journalists. However, after overcoming severe injuries, manager Matt Busby assembled a team that, ten years later, won the European championship.

Speaking to club media, the Dutchman said: "I think it tells a lot about the legacy of this club, about the DNA of this club, about having big setbacks, tragedy, but fighting back. I fight back also with young players, young players who should express resilience like, for instance, Kobbie Mainoo is [an] Academy product. He showed that resilience today [against Wolves]. But Munich was a disaster for the club and how the club recovered from it, but also how individuals recover from it, was great. Such a disaster, survive this and then a couple of years later, you’re lifting the biggest trophy in European football. That is immense. I think we always should remember this, that this is the legacy of why Manchester United exist and what we should match as a club, as a team, as an individual."

On Busby using homegrown talent: "I’ll always be driven by this motivation and that's one of the reasons why I'm here, to develop young players. You need patience but also you need the right structures. You need capable coaches in the Academy for football but also for other sites, for personalities. And you have to develop and yeah to bring young players in is a big advantage because they know the DNA of the club."

The Dutchman has given a lot of opportunities to homegrown talent not just during his time with the Red Devils but also during his time at Ajax. In England, he has given players like Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Willy Kambwala their debuts.

The club has struggled so far this season due to inconsistency but they will be hoping for a win on Sunday against West Ham at home, as victory would see them leapfrog the Londoners and Brighton into sixth place.