Ten Hag says Sir Alex Ferguson "is Manchester United" and believes he will remain available to help in their bid to return to the top, despite leaving his ambassadorial role.

"Of course it has an impact on us," Ten Hag said. "Sir Alex of course is Manchester United. He built Manchester United to where the club is now.

"It impacts us, but on the other side also we know and Sir Alex knows and he wants to see a winning Manchester United.

"I'm sure he's always available for every advice and we will need him, definitely in the short term again as we did in the last two and a half years I am here."

Asked if he regularly talks to Ferguson, the under-fire United boss said: "Yes, so now and then we have good contact I would say.

"So, once in half a year I meet formally with him, but also of course informal around games I meet him."

Ten Hag added: "At the moment we can't match the standards he set, but still we won trophies. Remember, six years before this club didn't win trophies so we are coming back, so we are returning, but it is also obvious that we are not there.

"But then what is very important, we need all the processes right and that we can construct a team, that we can line up the best players to construct the best teams."

Ten Hag continued: "One thing is sure that there's almost no club in the world where the expectations are so high as at Manchester United and that is set in the era of Sir Alex.

"Then the rest of us who come after have to deal with this, but that's nice. Therefore you want to be here, it is a big challenge.

"But also it demands the highest standards in every process and obviously we're not there in every process.

"We didn't get so far to challenge for the Premier League, for the Champions League title, but of course that is the ambition.

"That is what this club has and what the expectations are, but still we manage to win some trophies."