Erik ten Hag details Sir Alex Ferguson chat after 'recommendation' to board

Manchester United managerial candidate Erik ten Hag has already got an insight into life at Old Trafford following a trip to the club's Carrington training ground several years ago.

The Ajax boss is one of the favourites for the United job after impressing in Amsterdam, winning two Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups. He also guided Ajax to within seconds of a Champions League final in 2019, agonisingly losing to Tottenham in the last-minute.

Speaking in 2020, Ten Hag recalled a trip to Carrington in November 2008 when Dutch side Twente took on Manchester City at the Etihad. Ten Hag was Twente's assistant boss at the time, working under former England manager Steve McClaren.

"Steve and I visited Sir Alex Ferguson when we played Manchester City, the morning before the match we had coffee with him - it was a memorable conversation about football," Ten Hag told Ajax's official YouTube channel.

"When we visited, Sir Alex Ferguson was sitting in his office, he was the manager and he had an overview of the pitches at Carrington and he could follow the training sessions from his office, it was an experience."

Ten Hag is believed to be on a five-man shortlist for the United job. The other four candidates are Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino, Spain's Luis Enrique, Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui and Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel. Ten Hag is the current bookies' favourite.

But, according to ESPN, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has emerged as a short-term option as United continue to evaluate their long-term strategy. The Italian would only be a realistic choice if his second spell at Real comes to an end this summer.

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Ancelotti is doing a stellar job in the Spanish capital. Heading into Sunday's El Clasico against Barcelona, La Liga leaders Real are 10 points clear of Sevilla in second. They've also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and won the Spanish Super Cup.

Ancelotti boasts one of the finest CVs in Europe, winning three league titles - including the Premier League with Chelsea - and three Champions Leagues during his illustrious managerial career. He's won 21 trophies as a coach, plus various individual honours.

United are currently fifth in the Premier League, four points behind Arsenal in fourth having played a game more. Their top four hopes are looking increasingly slim, considering they still have Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea still to play.

The Red Devils have failed to win a trophy for the fifth consecutive season this term and are currently being coached by Ralf Rangnick, who will start a two-year consultancy gig this summer. Their last title was the Europa League in May 2017 under Jose Mourinho.

"We know that consistency is key as we strive for a top-four finish this season," said United's football director John Murtough at the beginning of March. "I want to reiterate however that this is not the ultimate objective for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on challenging for the top trophies.

"We are now conducting a thorough process for the appointment of a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles."