Manchester United Stars Accused Of 'Overlooking' Teammate Donny Van De Beek

Donny van de Beek has been 'overlooked' by his Manchester United teammates as the former Ajax star has been hailed as an "excellent football player."

That's according to former Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk, who staunchly defended his fellow countryman's treatment at Old Trafford.

United splashed out an initial £35m fee to sign Dutch midfielder Van De Beek from Ajax last September.

However, Van De Beek has struggled to establish himself as a regular in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI.

Solskjaer has come under criticism for how he has handled the United player this season, with even Van Marwijk slamming the Red Devils boss in the past.

Speaking in his De Telegraaf column, Van Marwijk has now insisted that the position that Van De Beek thrived in at Ajax is "not there at Manchester United."

The 68-year-old wrote for the Dutch newspaper: "I think Donny van de Beek is an excellent football player.

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"He has excellent functional technique and despite his young age, he already has the insight to usually make the right choices. He also has a great running ability.

"So, I understand that Manchester United paid him some £35m last summer. Only he plays far too little.

"On Sunday, he was again on the bench for 90 minutes in the top match against Chelsea.

"How is that possible? Van de Beek is not suddenly a bad football player or someone who could not handle the level.

"I think that is why it is not a matter of too little quality, but that other things are also involved in a different environment."

Van Marwijk added: "The same position play that made him so strong at Ajax is not there at Manchester United.

"There, the spaces he is looking for between midfield and defence of the opposing team are missing or his teammates let the moment pass by. His well-timed runs are not recognised there. So, this is also the problem for him.

"He is an excellent player, but at the same time, he is dependent on his teammates and the position play that brings his team to the pitch.

"In order to succeed and survive abroad, it seems that something else is necessary. Then you will also have to have or develop other qualities.

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"If your teammates overlook you and the game is not aligned with you, you will also need to be able to find your way.

"Then that good team player will have to think more about themselves and also have the technical and tactical qualities to make the difference on their own."

Former United star Mark Hughes has suggested that Van De Beek hasn't earned the trust of his club teammates, saying they "don't trust him with the ball yet."

Topics: Donny van de Beek, Football, Manchester United, Premier League, England

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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