Manchester United managerial target Erik ten Hag has revealed that he will not think about his future with Ajax until he has fully processed the surprise resignation of director of football Marc Overmars.
After nearly 10 years in the role with the Eredivisie champions, Overmars resigned on Tuesday after he allegedly sent "cross-border" messages to female colleagues.
The Dutchman worked closely alongside his compatriot Ten Hag since the latter was appointed as head coach in 2017, and the pair enjoyed a successful period together, winning three domestic trophies and reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 Champions League.
Ten Hag, who has been strongly linked with the Man United vacancy, has since revealed that he was "totally stunned" when he discovered the reasoning behind Overmars's resignation and has stated that he still needs time to process what has happened before he thinks about his own future.
"Marc Overmars and me were definitely a strong duo. But to think about this now, it's not about me now," Ten Hag told ESPN, via the Daily Mirror.
"We need to process what happened. I will start looking at the consequences. I won't think about my future now.
"I'm fine, but I know what you mean. We've had incredibly bad days, of course. I was totally stunned when I heard it.
"This is disastrous. Especially for the victims; the women. I have a hard time with the suffering that has been caused to them.
"Everyone processes this in their own way. I then withdraw a bit and am a bit quieter than usual. As a coach you naturally have to radiate energy, but that was difficult the last few days."
Ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino are believed to be the leading candidates to succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford in the summer.
Oliver Thomas
