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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

Erik ten Hag's transfer tactic in phone call that secured crucial Man Utd signing

Christian Eriksen has revealed a phone call from Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag helped persuade him to make the move to Old Trafford this summer.

Eriksen joined United on a free transfer after an impressive six-month stint at Brentford, with the midfielder getting back to his best after recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered in Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland.

And Eriksen has played a crucial role under Ten Hag, making 32 appearances in all competitions so far this season and excelling alongside fellow summer signing Casemiro in the heart of United's midfield.

In an appearance on the UTD Podcast, Eriksen lifted the lid on how his move to Old Trafford came about, saying: "Well I ended up being at Brentford until the summer obviously and the contract was running out.

"So I was free to talk to other clubs and I kept my possibilities open. At the time, I wasn't closed down on going back to Brentford, I wanted to see what else came in or [if] something could tempt me away from how good it was there.

"And then, of course, United came in. [I was] speaking to the manager on the phone and then I could actually see myself going to United.

(AFP via Getty Images)

"Luckily, they pulled through [to make the move] and I did as well. So, in the end, coming here was definitely very special."

Eriksen had been out of action since January after suffering an ankle injury in United's fourth round FA Cup clash against Reading, but the 31-year-old made an appearance off the bench against Everton on Saturday and his return was welcomed by club captain Harry Maguire.

"Christian came on the pitch and it was really good to see him coming on, taking the ball," Maguire told MUTV. "He took the sting out of the game, which I felt was really important at the time."

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