Amrabat, who arrived at United on loan from Fiorentina on the transfer deadline day, had previously risen through the ranks of Utrecht’s academy when Ten Hag was at the helm, earning 50 appearances for the first team. Reflecting on the significance of Ten Hag’s influence on his development, the Moroccan international Amrabat shared, “It was tremendously important because I was very young at the time, around 18 or 19 years old. He afforded me the opportunity to play in Utrecht’s first team. We had an incredible season, and I learned a great deal from him. So, perhaps he’s one of the most influential individuals in my career to date.”
Amrabat continued to praise Ten Hag, highlighting their shared winning mentality, saying, “It’s fantastic because I believe Erik Ten Hag is a coach who consistently pushes his team to the limit. He’s driven, hungry, and has an insatiable desire to win. He’s a true winner, and I appreciate that. I consider myself similar; I’m also a competitor, always striving to win. It’s a great match.”
Amrabat, who played a significant role in Morocco’s unexpected journey to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar the previous year, was brought in by Ten Hag to strengthen United’s midfield options. United secured his services with an £8.6 million loan fee and holds the option to make the transfer permanent for £17.1 million, along with £4.2 million in potential add-ons.
Looking ahead to his debut for the Red Devils, Amrabat expressed his excitement at the prospect of following in the footsteps of United’s legendary midfielders. He shared, “I think United has had so many incredible players and talented young midfielders. So, in general, I look up to midfielders like Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, and David Beckham, among others. But there were countless big names – Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo – I could list them for hours. Of course, my brother and I discussed it. He suggested that I should aim for the Premier League, considering it’s the most competitive league globally. And now that I’m here, I can hardly wait.”
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