Super Eagles winger Nathan Tella says he’s looking forward to working with Erik ten Hag, newly appointed head coach of Bayer Leverkusen — and he’s not letting the Dutchman’s mixed time at Manchester United cloud his expectations.

In a recent chat with Flashscore, the 24-year-old praised Ten Hag’s football pedigree and urged fans not to forget the manager’s past glories — including his trophy wins at United and historic run with Ajax.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Tella said. “I think he’s a very good manager. People tend to focus only on what he did at Manchester United, but they forget he won two trophies there — and what he achieved with Ajax was incredible.”

Ten Hag, who guided Ajax to multiple Eredivisie titles and a memorable UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2019, joins Leverkusen after parting ways with United. While his stint in England came with highs and lows, Tella believes Leverkusen’s decision to bring him in says a lot.

“To go from Ajax to Manchester United already says a lot about his quality,” Tella added. “Even though things didn’t go exactly as some people hoped at United, the fact that he’s now coming to Leverkusen — especially after someone like Xabi Alonso — shows how highly regarded he still is.”

Tella enjoyed decent form in the 2024/25 season, notching 4 goals and 5 assists in 38 games. While it wasn’t as standout as his contributions during Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga-winning campaign the year prior, he still logged valuable minutes and showcased consistency.

With Alonso now at Real Madrid, Tella is eager to continue his development under another highly respected coach.

“I haven’t even met him yet — I’ve just seen the pictures of him signing — but that alone has motivated me,” he said. “It’s another big name in world football, and I’m excited for the opportunity to learn from him and show what I can do.”