Former Manchester United assistant coach Van der Gager was interviewed by GiveMeSport a few days ago and talked about topics such as his experience at Manchester United, his cooperation with Tenhach, and previous health crisis. van der Gage joined M...
Former Manchester United assistant coach Van der Gager was interviewed by GiveMeSport a few days ago and talked about topics such as his experience at Manchester United, his cooperation with Tenhach, and previous health crisis.
van der Gage joined Manchester United's coaching staff in May 2022 and left in July 2024. He is now the head coach of the Swiss Premier League Zurich.
van der Garger said: "I am grateful for Manchester United's time. It was a wonderful two years and had a lot of rewards. The first season was particularly successful. We won the Premier League, won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final. The only regret is that the UEFA Cup performance was not satisfactory. Because of the outstanding first season, everyone expected us to go further in the second season. But it was a strange season, and we did not meet expectations in the Premier League and the Champions League."
"The results are often incredible. The game that was clearly sure to win was finally tied or even lost. But the FA Cup won the championship successfully ended everything, which is crucial. In the past two years, I have deeply understood the operating model, game style and tactical diversity of the Premier League, and these experiences have benefited me a lot."
}"At the end of May, I suddenly received a text message from the director of Zurich's sports. We met two years ago for Tadic's transfer. He asked about my plan, and we immediately agreed to have a deep conversation in Lisbon for four or five hours, and the concepts of both sides were highly consistent. Everything came naturally after the second meeting. Sometimes fate comes, and there is no need for too much consultation."
"The coach always advises fans to stay patient, but the team is eager to make contributions immediately. As a Swiss giant, at least entering the European game is our clear goal."
Van der Gage's coaching experience at Manchester United and Zurich began in the life and death test in 2013. When he coached the Berenian against his old club Maridimo, he suddenly fainted in the coach's seat and recovered his consciousness after two electric shocks from the defibrillator.
Although most people think this experience will make people look down on the meaning of football, the former Dutch U21 international emphasized after full recovery that he never thought so when he was standing on the sidelines to direct. Van der Garhe said: "This has really changed me. After all, unlike problems like knee injuries, you will re-examine your life and care more about your family and children. They are important, but now you will think they are crucial. Although I work overseas, we are always a closely-dependent family."
"Of course, you can think that there are things in life that are more important than football. But in any career, you must be 100% devoted. If you question life after every loss, it means that I am not suitable for this industry and it is not fair to the club. When facing criticism, I always say that I have experienced death, and that is life What is worse than darkest moments? This perception keeps me awake. "
"I feel relieved to be able to return to coaching. After all, it was really difficult to find a job after the incident. I fully understand that no one is willing to take the risk of hiring me. In the end, it was the Cyprus club that gave me the opportunity. I am still grateful to the chairman for regaining the opportunity to prove myself and prove that I am still competent for the coaching job."
"When other teams saw that I could still coach, the joy of regaining the opportunity is hard to describe. I am grateful to be able to return to the arena. Although this experience has changed me, football is still important."
