Rutten rejects offer to be Ten Hag's Man Utd assistant as he's 'uncomfortable' with the project
Fred Rutten says he turned down the chance to become one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants at Manchester United as he felt "uncomfortable" about the project.
Ten Hag has begun the process of building his backroom team after it was confirmed he will leave Ajax for the Red Devils this summer.
Rutten, however, will not be among them as he would rather stay closer to his family in the Netherlands.
What did Rutten say about the Man Utd assistant job?
Rutten, 59, is a vastly experienced coach having managed the likes of Twente, Schalke, PSV and Feyenoord over the last two decades.
His assistant at PSV between 2009 and 2012 was Ten Hag, who has since gone on to establish himself as an elite manager in his own right.
The 52-year-old was keen for a reunion with Rutten at Old Trafford, this time with the roles reversed, but Rutten was not interested in the move to England, instead revealing that he could return to PSV as assistant to new boss Ruud van Nistelrooy instead.
“Erik ten Hag has asked me to be his assistant at Manchester United, I said no,” Rutten told ESPN.
“Everyone makes his own choices in life. I have a family, I have grandchildren that I want to see. This type of project, I felt uncomfortable with it.
“At Manchester United you get on a train and you can’t get off it. I want to feel comfortable in something you step into. That is the case with PSV. It’s nice when you have grandchildren, who you see every now and then and who you can play ball with.”