‘He wasn’t the reason’ – Anthony Elanga response to claims Erik ten Hag forced his Man Utd exit
Anthony Elanga dismissed the idea Erik ten Hag forced him to leave Manchester United.
The 21-year-old Swedish forward ended a near-decade association with the Red Devils when he joined Nottingham Forest last summer.
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Having come through United’s esteemed academy, Elanga would make 55 appearances for the club, netting four goals and creating four more.
However, competition for places saw the Hyllie-born forward left for pastures new, but reports suggesting a falling out with Man Utd head coach Ten Hag is way off the mark.
“Was Ten Hag the reason I left United? No, I wouldn’t say that. I just wanted to play; that was especially important to me. I’m young and I don’t want to sit on the bench all season, you know? When you’re young you want to play, you want to make mistakes, you want to take risks. But he wasn’t the reason for my leaving. There I mainly focused on myself, not on others,” he said.
“Of course I also saw what he did at Ajax,” Elanga added. “But when you come to England, everything is different. He has improved several players, for example, Ryan Gravenberch, who now plays for Liverpool. But I just wanted to take my chance and go somewhere else. And that was a good decision because I am enjoying myself at Forest.”
What a privilege to sign for this historic football club! I’m honestly so happy and excited to be here, I haven’t stopped smiling! Thank you for the amazing welcome @NFFC ❤️
Thankyou God 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/zml3EpAqaZ— Anthony Elanga (@AnthonyElanga) July 25, 2023
Elanga ultimately played 26 matches under Ten Hag, accumulating 732 minutes, but would only start in seven, never completing the full game once.
His move to Forest has been reinvigorating, with Elanga surpassing his Man Utd total (five goals), having played thirty games fewer.
Elanga’s performances in this season’s Premier League have been eye-catching. The current Sweden international was on the scoresheet in their recent 2-3 loss against Newcastle United at home.
Even so, each of Elanga’s last three Premier League goals has come at home after his first five in the competition all came on the road.
Furthermore, he’s provided more assists (six) than any Manchester United player has in the Premier League this season (five – Bruno Fernandes) and twice as many as anyone else.
