"He's what Manchester United have needed for a few years now" - Wayne Rooney hails Erik ten Hag's impact at the Old Trafford club

Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney recently hailed Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag for the impressive work he has done at Old Trafford thus far.

The Dutch tactician has had a tremendous 2022-23 football campaign with Manchester United, as his team are still in the hunt for a possible quadruple. Ten Hag, who was appointed last summer by the Red Devils to take over from Raf Ragnick, is gradually showing his qualities in the dugouts for United.

His Red Devils side are currently third in the Premier League with 49 points after 24 games. They are also in contention for the league title, as they are just five points adrift of Arsenal who are top of the log.

Manchester United have also demonstrated a strong mentality in cup competitions, as they are currently in the final of the Carabao Cup. Ten Hag will be hoping to guide the Red Devils to landing their first silverware since 2017 when they face Newcastle United this weekend at Wembley.

Meanwhile, club legend Wayne Rooney has labeled the United manager a missing piece at Old Trafford in recent years. He went on to add that Ten Hag has changed the mindset of his players and instilled confidence in the Red Devils squad.

Rooney made this known during an interview as seen on ESPN. He said:

"He's what Manchester United have needed for a few years now. I've been down to the training ground quite a few times, especially in the [MLS] offseason when I was back home in England, and spoke to quite a few of the players.

"I know the players enjoy working under him, which is always important, but he demands a lot of his players."

Speaking on Ten Hag's impact on Manchester United's 2022-23 football campaign, Rooney said:

"I think he's changed the mindset and the confidence and belief of the players that they are a good team, and I think people are starting to see that this season, and they're in a good position. They're five points off the top spot, you know there's still a lot of games to go ... so you never know."

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Wayne Rooney reveals that Erik ten Hag has been able to restore a winning culture at Manchester United

The former United striker revealed that Dutch tactician ten Hag has been able to bring back the culture, which has been lacking at Old Trafford in recent years.

Rooney went on to add that ten Hag has been able to achieve this by keeping every player at the club engaged. In his words:

"I think Ten Hag has managed to keep all the players engaged, and players coming off the bench are having an impact as well, so the culture and the character he's getting off the players is what's been needed for a while."

Manchester United also defeated Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to keep themselves in the hunt for the UEFA Europa League.