'Erik ten Hag signed me for Man Utd – it's his fault I didn't make the grade'
Wout Weghorst realised his boyhood dream when he joined Manchester United last January - but the Dutch striker feels he was not given a fair crack of the whip at Old Trafford
Wout Weghorst has blamed Erik ten Hag's tactics for his unsuccessful stint at Manchester United.
The Dutch striker was overjoyed when he joined United from Burnley on loan last January, with the Red Devils paying £3million to cut short his loan spell in Turkey with Besiktas. Despite earning a Carabao Cup medal and making an appearance in the FA Cup final, Weghorst scored just twice during his time at Old Trafford, with none in the Premier League.
The 31-year-old was brutally mocked by fans for his spell with United, but insists he wasn't used in the right way by Ten Hag. Weghorst has also pointed out the the team's success while he was in the side.
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"They were super successful months in which we hardly lost. I was also very important for the team, as both a focal point of play and hard-working link between midfield and attack," he said (via the Mirror). "Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place.
"The Premier League is by far the toughest league in the world, with the best defenders. But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to.
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"In Germany and Turkey, the teams always played for me. I was the end of the line, while at United I mainly had to ensure that others could excel. I think I managed that very well. But whichever way you look at it, I would have liked to score much more often."
After being signed by Burnley from Wolfsburg for £12million in January 2021, he was loaned to Besiktas when the Clarets were relegated. Then, after helping the Netherlands reach the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar, the Red Devils came knocking.
Weghorst chose to fulfil his dream of wearing the famous red shirt. He said: "Things went very well at Besiktas and I was enjoying myself immensely there.
"One evening my agent, Simon Cziommer, called me. I was already in bed, rocking my daughter Daantje to sleep. But I answered the call and Simon said 'there are two clubs interested in you. First he told me a story about Brentford - and then he suddenly shouted 'Wout, United want you!' I dropped the phone and burst into tears."
Weghorst was grateful to Besiktas for allowing the move to happen. He revealed: "My relationship with Besiktas' sporting director was very good and I explained to him that it was my boyhood dream to play for Manchester United.
"He said he understood, but Besiktas kept coming up with more and more financial offers. I won't mention any amounts, but believe me when I say that I lost a lot to make the transfer possible."
While his move back to England was being finalised, his emotions came to the fore as he watched United beat rivals City in the Manchester derby. He said: "I entered that magical stadium for the first time in my life and when I sat down in my seat, looked around and took in the chanting of the fans, it hit me hard.
"That was the moment when I realised this is my club now. Then I watched one of the greatest football matches on earth. Of course, I had dreamed about this as a young boy. But to see it actually happen made me shiver."
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