Incoming new Man United coach almost died in dugout after 2013 collapse

The Dutchman, who is set to join Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and resume the No.2 role he held at Ajax, was revived on the touchline in dramatic scenes during a match in Portugal.

Van der Gaag is expected to join Steve McClaren as an integral part of Ten Hag's new set-up at Manchester United this summer, taking up the assistant manager's role.

The 50-year-old - two years Ten Hag's junior - enjoyed an 18-year professional career amassing 431 league appearances as a centre-back, including a two-year spell in Scotland with Motherwell before moving back to his native Holland in 1997 with Utrecht.

He also had stints with PSV Eindhoven, Portuguese side Maritimo and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

But in 2013, as manager of Portuguese side Belenenses, Van der Gaag suddenly collapsed in the dugout in a match against Maritimo.

Aged just 41 at the time, Van der Gaag had led Belenenses to the second division title and was making strides in Primeira Liga in the 2013/14 campaign, when he had a heart scare.

He was revived by two shocks from a defibrillator - an event that led him to step away from football.

"I'm alive today, it was a very violent thing that happened," said Van der Gaag in a statement at the time. "I have a heart problem, some time ago, before arriving at Belenenses.

"I have a pacemaker and defibrillator. On Saturday during the game I felt bad and received two shocks and the unit saved my life.

"I have to leave work, because life is more important. Now my doctor is my coach."

After two-years away from football, Van der Gaag made a return to his native Holland - a move that eventually led him to the Ajax reserve team in 2019.

As his stock rose, Erik ten Hag promoted Van der Gaag to the first team as his assistant in 2021, replacing ex-Liverpool midfielder Christian Poulsen.

Now, Van der Gaag is being sworn in at one of the world's biggest football club's, as he begins a new era at Manchester United alongside Ten Hag.

The 50-year old assistant coach has built his reputation on defending and will have a huge job on his hands this summer as he is tasked with plugging the gaps in United's leaky defence.

Captain Harry Maguire has struggled for large parts of the season, with Ten Hag reportedly looking to dip into the transfer market for another centre-back to help restore his skipper's confidence.

Four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane also endured a challenging first season at Old Trafford as he struggled to find the form he showed during an illustrious ten-year spell at Real Madrid.

Reports have suggested that Ten Hag may be looking to bolster his full-back options, too, with the Dutchman unconvinced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, in particular.

The duo of Ten Hag and Van der Gaag guided Ajax to a third straight Dutch league title last week, with by far the best goals against record in the Eredivisie.

Ajax conceded just 19 goals in their 34 league games, an improvement on the previous two seasons, indicating a clear sign of Van der Gaag's impressive work since being promoted to the first team.

But life at Manchester United in its current state is going to be a completely different challenge for the coach, who will undoubtedly have his work cut out to help turn around the club's fortunes.

Van der Gaag admits he is very methodical in his coaching strategies and feels that effective communication is the key to getting the desired response from his players.

"I used to have discussions with the whole team, but as a field coach I am moving away from that more and more," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

"Players increasingly prefer individual conversations. That takes a lot more time and energy, but I have the feeling that I can reach my players better that way.

"I sit down with players every week and we look at how he has played together with the footage. As a result, I can demand much more and you also get more sense of responsibility from the player.

"They can hide in a group. It's not just fair weather conversations either. If I'm not satisfied, I'll say so. Then everyone will know where he stands."