Nigerian international Nathan Tella has expressed his excitement at the arrival of Erik ten Hag as Bayer Leverkusen new manager, describing the Dutchman as a “high-quality” coach with a proven track record.
In an interview with Flashscore.com, the 24-year-old winger revealed his eagerness to play under Ten Hag, who officially takes charge of Leverkusen on 1 July following his exit from Manchester United.
“I’m looking forward to it a lot. I think he is a very good manager, i know, obviously, people are short-sighted and look at only what he’s done at Man United, but people forget he’s won two trophies with them, and what he did with Ajax” said Tella.
Ten Hag, who led Ajax to a UEFA Champions League semi-final and multiple Eredivisie titles, endured a mixed spell at Old Trafford but secured both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his tenure.
His appointment at Leverkusen comes after the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.
“To even get a job at Manchester United from Ajax shows he must be doing something incredible, and even though it didn’t go the way perhaps people wanted it to go, to then get a job at Leverkusen shows you how highly regarded he is” Tella added
The Super Eagles star admitted he has yet to meet Ten Hag, but the announcement alone has already fuelled his ambition.
“I’ve not even met him yet. I’ve just seen the pictures of him signing, and it’s given me motivation to want to play for him. Another manager to impress, another big name in world football — it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
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Tella also offered a candid reflection on Bayer Leverkusen’s 2024/25 campaign, which ended with a second-place finish in the Bundesliga and a semi-final exit in the DFB Cup.
“I would like to say it was a good season. Obviously, it’s disappointing when we get to a semi-final and lose. With all due respect, it’s a team [Arminia Bielefeld] we should be beating.”
Nathan Tella of Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena. (Photo by Getty Images)
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich reclaimed the Bundesliga title, but Tella believes Leverkusen showed flashes of their championship-winning form from the previous season.
“Bayern were really good and we had moments where we weren’t. We closed the gap at times, but we needed to be more ruthless — more like killers — and we weren’t able to do that consistently,” he said.
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Despite falling short domestically and in Europe, where they reached the UEFA Champions League last 16, Tella sees the bigger picture.
“To finish second in a very competitive league and to reach the Champions League last 16 — it’s an achievement we can be proud of. Of course, we want to progress, but I’d say we’re happy with how the season went overall.”
Tella played 40 matches across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen scoring 4 goals and 5 assist in the 2024/2025 season.
Bayer Leverkusen kick off their new era under Ten Hag in the DFB Cup from 15–18 August, followed by their Bundesliga opener the next weekend.
