Ex-Manchester United starlet Omari Forson – who departed Old Trafford this week – has vowed to Erik ten Hag that he will reach his full potential away from the club.
While confirmation came overnight that Ten Hag’s staying on as the Red Devils boss, 19-year-old Forson officially departed for Serie A outfit Monza on a free transfer. The young Englishman revealed his move to the Italian side on the same day Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford was secured, despite a turbulent season.
While it’s a season many United players and fans would rather erase from memory, Forson will remember it fondly. As he parted ways with the club he has been at since the age of 15, Forson sent a message to the boss who gave him his first and only real opportunity to impress on the red side of Manchester.
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Ten Hag gave the England U20 international four league appearances this season, including his Premier League debut in January, where he provided an assist within four minutes of United’s crucial 4-3 win over Wolves. Upon the announcement of Ten Hag and Forson’s futures, the teenager posted an Instagram story featuring him and the United manager on the sidelines with a poignant message for the former Ajax boss.
Forson said: “Appreciate all the opportunities you gave me. Gonna show the world what you saw in me a long time ago.”
In total, Forson made seven first-team appearances for United this season, four in the Premier League and three in the FA Cup. Despite his late assist against Wolves, he failed to convince the Red Devils’ hierarchy that he deserved a new contract and has now moved on to his next challenge, reports the Express.
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(Image: (Image: Instagram/omariforson10))
Meanwhile, Ten Hag has entered the final year of his contract, but is on the brink of penning a new deal at Old Trafford despite a roller coaster season. The Red Devils endured a tough campaign, crashing out of the Champions League in the group stages and stumbling to their lowest Premier League finish since 1992, ending up in eighth place.
But they finished positively with cracking wins against Newcastle United and Brighton, capping off the season with an FA Cup final win over arch-rivals Manchester City, bagging a Europa League spot in the process.
Talks were held with ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, while Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino were also sounded out. Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna was also touted as someone who could take over the reins at United, and Gareth Southgate refused to enter discussions while preparing for Euro 2024 this summer with England, and so none ended up replacing the Dutchman in the dugout.
(Image: (Image: Getty))
United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously hinted they’re after a boss for the long haul. Back in February, Ratcliffe said: “I’m not going to comment on Erik ten Hag because I think it would be inappropriate to do that.
“But what I think is relevant to the question or the answer is if you look at the 11 years since David Gill and Sir Alex stepped down, there have been a whole series of coaches, some of whom were very good, and none of them have been successful or survived for very long, which I think is correct. You can’t blame all the coaches.
“The only conclusion you can draw is the environment in which they were working in didn’t work. Erik has been in that environment. I’m talking about the organisation, the people in the structure, the atmosphere and all that sort of thing in the club, we have to do that bit. I’m not really focused on the coach, I’m focused on getting that bit right. It’s not for me to judge that anyway. I’m not a football professional.”