He scored just two goals
Former Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst has reflected on his time at the club and blamed his failure to make more of an impact on ex-boss Erik ten Hag.
United recruited the Netherlands striker on a loan deal from Burnley in January 2023.
At the time Ten Hag was looking to plug the gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo and the 6ft 6 Weghorst seemed like the ideal solution in the interim.
However, he managed just two goals during his six months at Old Trafford, neither of which was scored in the Premier League.
Despite this, he did help the Red Devils win the Carabao Cup, assisting Marcus Rashford in the final against Newcastle.
The Dutchman has now revealed that his lack of goals came down to the system employed by his then-manager.
He also claimed that he was used as a foil to get the best out of others on the pitch.
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.
“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 also spoke about turning down a lucrative offer from Besiktas following a spell which saw him score nine goals in 18 games.
He recalled the conversation with his agent when he was first identified by Manchester United.
He said: “Things went very well at Besiktas and I was enjoying myself immensely there.
“One evening my agent Simon Cziommer called me. Simon said ‘there are two clubs interested in you. First he told me a story about Brentford – and then he suddenly shouted ‘Wout, United want you!’ I dropped the phone and burst into tears.
“My relationship with Besiktas’ sporting director was very good and I explained to him that it was my boyhood dream to play for Manchester United.
“He said he understood, but Besiktas kept coming up with more and more financial offers. I won’t mention any amounts, but believe me when I say that I lost a lot to make the transfer possible.”
Weghorst played 31 times for Manchester United and though it was a dream come true for the 32-year-old, he reflects on that time as being bittersweet.
