Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella has expressed his support for the club’s appointment of Erik ten Hag as head coach, following the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.
Ten Hag, who recently left Manchester United after a mixed spell in charge, was announced as Alonso’s successor last week.
The Dutchman inherits a side that swept to an historic Bundesliga title and went unbeaten in domestic competition under Alonso, who opted to return to Spain to manage the European champions.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the Nigeria international voiced confidence in Leverkusen’s decision to bring in Ten Hag, citing the club’s consistent track record of making calculated and progressive moves.
“I think it’s cool, I’m happy with the club,” said the 25-year-old. “We all trust the club to make the right decisions, and this is another example of that. I think they’ve made the right call.”
Tella, who joined Leverkusen from Southampton in 2023 and played an influential role in their double-winning season, acknowledged the scrutiny surrounding Ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford.
However, he emphasised the importance of looking at the Dutchman’s broader body of work, particularly his successful spell at Ajax, where he won multiple domestic titles and guided the team to a Champions League semi-final in 2019.
“Obviously people look at how his time was at Man United,” he said. “But they forget how brilliant he was at Ajax — and we look at stuff like that.”
Tella, who is expected to feature prominently again next season, said he is eager to return for pre-season and begin working under the new manager.
“I’m excited to go back to pre-season and work with him,” he added.
