ONE of the top Premier League managers looks completely unrecognisable as a young player in a stunning change.
The manager – who has a 54 per cent win rate in England – boasts a very distinctive look in the dugout these days.
But a photo from his playing days shows a drastic difference for the gaffer.
He was once clean-shaven with a blonde tuft of receding hair.
The individual was a pro footballer for 13 years, predominantly making a name for himself in his homeland as a centre-back.
That included three spells with FC Twente as well as stints at De Graafschap, RKC Waalwijk and Utrecht.
He retired at the age of 32 in 2002 with a KNVB Cup winner’s medal in his trophy cabinet.
Then he stepped into management, starting out with Go Ahead Eagles before spells in Germany and the Netherlands and soon losing his hair.
And he arrived in England this summer with a big task on his hands in charge of one of the giants of the Premier League.
After a shocking start, he has started to get the best out of his team – delivering important wins over Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool to close in on the top four.
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The mystery manager is… Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman, 52, made a name for himself at Ajax, especially when they dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League on their way to the semi-finals in 2019.
Now his shiny bald head and steely look has become an iconic look in the Premier League already since he took over as Manchester United manager.
And if he hadn’t done so already, Ten Hag would no doubt have been losing hair over the Cristiano Ronaldo situation.
The Portuguese was fined and suspended after his public ill-discipline against Tottenham last week.
And the manager has a huge call to make over the future of the forward – with showdown talks set to help resolve it one way or another.
