Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag powerwalked his way over to Hakim Ziyech ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford in a heartwarming moment.
Ten Hag and Ziyech came agonisingly close to reaching the Champions League final in 2019 with an Ajax side featuring Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek.
After an impressive spell in Amsterdam, the Moroccan winger penned a five-year deal with Premier League side Chelsea in 2020 worth a reported £33.6 million plus add-ons.
Ziyech enjoyed a promising start to life at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard, who urged the club to make a move after his performances during that memorable Champions League run.
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But the 30-year-old forward, who was on the verge of leaving Chelsea in January before a move to PSG collapsed, has struggled to pick up many first-team minutes of late.
In fact Ziyech's last start for the Blues came against Spurs in February. Still, it's clear that Ten Hag thinks highly of his former player.
Ahead of kick-off, the United manager walked straight over to the Chelsea substitutes bench to greet out-of-favour Ziyech, who embraced his former boss.
As you can see in the footage below, a brief handshake with Lampard followed.
United went on to secure a place in next season's Champions League with a comfortable 4-1 win, as goals from Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford put a sorry-looking Chelsea to bed.
After the final whistle, Ten Hag could be seen walking alongside Ziyech before heading down the Old Trafford tunnel.
And in his post-match interview, the United boss was questioned about that conversation. "That is between Hakim and me," Ten Hag told Viaplay. "We have experienced a lot together, beautiful things. There is a bond for life."
He added: "He has to play every week. A footballer like that, in the prime of his life, must be on the pitch."
As mentioned earlier, Ziyech's move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain fell through in January, leading former Chelsea player Ruud Gullit to blast the club's treatment of the player.
He told Ziggo Sport: "This is not a mistake. It can’t be. If you get so many players and you do this two, three times... It can be bullying.
"Ziyech could also have been annoying. You don’t know. He will have to fight for his place again. In the end, it’s terrible for him."
The Dutch legend added: "He should have left there a long time ago. The question is whether he would have played at Paris Saint-Germain. Then you end up in the same situation."
Thoughts on Ziyech's future?
Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea, Manchester United, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag, Frank Lampard
Jack Kenmare