Meet Man Utd coach Mitchell van der Gaag who almost DIED in dugout and will replace Erik ten Hag on touchline vs Everton
MITCHELL VAN DER GAAG will replace Erik ten Hag on the touchline against Everton.
The Manchester United coach is set to take the manager’s place in the dugout at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Ten Hag will serve a one-match touchline ban after picking up his third yellow card of the season against Luton before the international break.
His assistant Van der Gaag is poised to lead the United bench in his absence.
The Dutchman will be supported by Eric Ramsay, Steve McLaren and Benni McCarthy in the dugout.
Van der Gaag joined United last summer, following Ten Hag to Old Trafford after serving as his assistant at Ajax.
He has previously been a manager himself, taking charge of clubs in Portugal, Cyprus and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, he spent two years with Motherwell as a player and was a Dutch youth international.
However, he suffered a heart scare back in 2013 whilst managing in Portugal, almost dying in the dugout during a match.
The then manager of Belenenses collapsed during a 1-0 win over Maritimo.
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Van der Gaag required required two shocks form a defibrillator to save his life and immediately took a break from football.
Speaking at the time, he explained: “I’m alive today, it was a very violent thing that happened.
“I have a heart problem, some time ago, before arriving at Belenenses.
“I have a pacemaker and defibrillator. On Saturday during the game I felt bad and received two shocks and the unit saved my life.
“I have to leave work, because life is more important. Now my doctor is my coach.”