Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Erik ten Hag as their new manager.
The Dutchman will become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor at the end of the season, when current interim boss Ralf Rangnick is due to move into a consultancy role at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has signed a three-year deal at Man United until 2025 with the option for an additional 12 months and prepares to leave Ajax after spending four and a half years in the Amsterdam hotseat.
"It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead," Ten Hag told manutd.com following his appointment.
"I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.
"It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United."
Director of football John Murtough added: "During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team's attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.
"In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
"We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer."
A stalwart of FC Twente during his playing days, Ten Hag gained managerial experience in their youth teams and as first-team assistant before spending almost three years in a similar role at PSV Eindhoven.
The 52-year-old took on his first managerial job with Go Ahead Eagles in 2012 before taking charge of Bayern II and Utrecht ahead of his Ajax appointment in December 2017.
Ten Hag memorably led Ajax to the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League before they were eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur and has already won two Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Cups and one Dutch Super Cup in Amsterdam.
The Eredivisie leaders hold a four-point lead at the summit with five games left to play in the 2021-22 Eredivisie season but went down 2-1 to PSV in the final of the Dutch Cup earlier this month.
Ten Hag's appointment is subject to the Dutchman being granted the appropriate work visa requirements.
Ben Knapton
