Ajax appoint Erik ten Hag as new manager

Ajax have appointed FC Utrecht boss Erik ten Hag as their new head coach.

The 47-year-old will take charge of the Eredivisie giants from January 1, having agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Ten Hag replaces Marcel Keizer at the helm after he was sacked along with assistant manager Dennis Bergkamp earlier this month.

Ten Hag will take over a team which has already crashed out of the Champions League and Europa League this season, while they find themselves five points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven on the domestic front too.

The Dutchman worked alongside Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich before joining Utrecht in 2015, steering them to a fifth-place finish and the KNVB Beker final in his first season at the helm.

Ten Hag, who was named Eredivisie Coach of the Year for 2016, will take charge of his first Ajax match against fierce rivals Feyenoord on January 21.