Wout Weghorst lived his dream by playing for Manchester United in the second half of last season, but there was undoubtedly frustration among all parties about his lack of goals. And the 6ft 6in Dutchman has aimed fire at Erik ten Hag, blaming his style of play for his low tally at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive exit at the end of 2022 called for an emergency striker signing in the January transfer window.
After helping the Netherlands reach the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar, Weghorst was the subject of interest from two Premier League clubs – one was Brentford.
But as his agent Simon Cziommer revealed the other was United, the tears flowed, and he abandoned his loan at Besiktas when the Red Devils paid £3million for his signature.
Weghorst made memories during his six-month stay – lifting the Carabao Cup and appearing in the FA Cup final. But his measly output of two goals did little to convince.
The 31-year-old has Ten Hag to thank for his dream switch. However, he recently threw shade at the tactics used during his short stint.
Weghorst said: “They were super successful months in which we hardly lost. I was also very important for the team as both a focal point of play and the hard-working link between midfield and attack.
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“Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place. The Premier League is by far the toughest league in the world, with the best defenders.
“But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to. In Germany and Turkey, the teams always played for me.
“I was the end of the line, while at United, I mainly had to ensure that others could excel. I think I managed that very well. But whichever way you look at it, I would have liked to score much more often.”
Weghorst made 31 appearances for United before returning to Burnley upon their immediate promotion back to the Premier League.
There was no space for him in Vincent Kompany’s squad, though, and he’s now at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim.
Weghorst’s time at United may not have gone perfectly, but his first goal for the club in a 4-1 win against Real Betis at Old Trafford will live long in the memory.
“There was zero adjustment time. The pressure was bizarre, and the physical strain greater than I had ever experienced,” Weghorst added.
“Only in the last few months did I feel I was really comfortable in it. Then, I became myself and dared to throw off my shyness. In the period before that, maybe I was too humble.
“But I will never forget my goal at Old Trafford against Real Betis. The fans were super crazy about me because they also saw that I was doing everything for it. I’m quite proud that I got this far.”
