New Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag admits Ajax 'were never an option'

During his first press conference as Bayer Leverkusen manager, Erik ten Hag admitted Ajax 'were never an option' as the Dutchman preferred a bigger adventure.

55-year-old Ten Hag was presented as the new Bayer Leverkusen manager on Monday and spoke to the press mere hours after arriving in West Germany.

"I had very good conversations here," said Ten Hag, who starts his second job in Germany after previously managing Bayern Munich's reserves between 2013 and 2015. "I already knew a lot about the club and the Bundesliga. I think it's a nice project to build something with good players."

"The Premier League and Bundesliga have similarities and differences, that's clear. German football and the Bundesliga mean a lot in world football. It's the infrastructure, but also the virtues... When people ask what football is, it is, as they say, a game of 11 against 11, and ultimately the Germans win."

Ajax

Ten Hag became famous for impressing with Ajax and for the way he made his sides play. The Dutchman has not thought about whether to implement that same style at Leverkusen yet, however. "You can take the base principles, but German football and Bayer have their own identities. You can't simply take up a different style."

Ten Hag was a prime candidate for the vacant Ajax job and even spoke to the club, but rejected them as he preferred 'the right project'. "I still have a very good relationship with many people at Ajax. I was disappointed about the last years at Ajax, but I left Ajax to go international."

Erik ten Hag won six prizes with Ajax during his four-and-a-half years in AmsterdamOrange Pictures, Orange Pics BV / Alamy / Profimedia

"We achieved so much with Ajax, but I don't want to look back at this moment; I want to look forward," the Dutchman continued. "What's in the past is not important anymore. I wish Ajax all the best, it's a great club, I hope they have all the success, and I'm sure they will because they have a great academy and sporting philosophy.

"But for me, it wasn't the right moment, also because I was in advanced talks here with Leverkusen. It was never an option anymore."

'In the past'

When Ten Hag was asked what he'd take with him from his Manchester United days, the experienced coach answered briefly: "That's in the past. I've been a manager for more than ten years. I'm looking to the future and building something new with all my energy."