Erik ten Hag spotted back in England as Ruben Amorim takes first Man Utd training session

Erik ten Hag has returned to his Manchester mansion to collect his things, three weeks after being sacked as Manchester United manager.

Ten Hag was dismissed on October 28 in the wake of United’s 2-1 defeat by West Ham in east London. He immediately returned to the Netherlands to spend some time in his hometown of Haaksbergen and has been pictured in the stands at two Eredivisie matches over the past few weekends.

But after letting the dust settle, Ten Hag has now returned to Manchester in order to clear out his former home. The 54-year-old and his wife Bianca were spotted at Piccolino – their favourite Italian restaurant in Hale, Greater Manchester – on Monday night, with Ten Hag appearing to be wearing the same Adidas gilet he sported during his final game as United boss.

His visit back to the city coincided with Ruben Amorim’s first training session at the club’s Carrington training centre on Monday. United flew straight out to Portugal to secure Amorim on the same day they sacked Ten Hag and the 39-year-old has now joined from Sporting Lisbon ahead of his first match in charge on Sunday against Ipswich.

Amorim has already set about ripping up the work Ten Hag did during his two and a half years at the club. He has been training United in his favoured 3-4-3 formation, which is likely to be on show at Portman Road after switching from Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 shape.

Having signed a new contract with United in the summer, Ten Hag and his coaching staff received a hefty pay-out after being dismissed. But the Dutchman appears keen to get back into management and has been busy watching live football in his homeland.

Image: Eamonn and James Clarke) Eamonn and James Clarke)

First, he went to watch Heracles vs NAC Breda in the Eredivisie – the nearest match to his hometown of Haaksbergen – before paying a visit to FC Twente a week later to watch them play Ajax, another of his former clubs.

Ten Hag was left “devastated” by the sacking at Old Trafford and summed up his feelings in a heartfelt message to the fans, released shortly after Amorim was confirmed as his replacement. "I want to thank you for giving me this feeling and for your support.

Image: Eamonn and James Clarke) Eamonn and James Clarke)

"I also want to thank the staff in every department of the club for their unwavering support in good times and bad,” he wrote. “We won two trophies – achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Of course, my dream was to bring more trophies to the cabinet. Unfortunately, that dream has come to an end.

"I wish all Manchester United fans nothing but success, trophies and glory. Your support and the warmth I received from everyone at the club helped me feel at home. Thank you for this chapter in my life. Erik."

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