Eric Ramsay leaves Manchester United for Minnesota and MLS head coach role

Eric Ramsay has left Manchester United to join Minnesota United and become the youngest head coach in Major League Soccer history.

In a statement released by Minnesota United on Monday, 32-year-old Ramsay said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining a club with such a strong football culture, a fanatic fanbase and a brilliant infrastructure. I’ve spoken to a lot of the club’s staff and you can’t help but feel everyone’s passion for moving the club forward.”

Ramsay joined the Premier League club during Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s tenure in 2021 and was a first-team coach under Erik ten Hag. Manchester United confirmed his departure in their own statement, saying: “We would like to thank Eric for his contribution, and wish him the best of luck in the US in his first head coach role.”

The Welshman becomes the latest British coach to cross the Atlantic, joining the likes of Phil Neville, Wayne Rooney, Dean Smith – who is the head coach at Charlotte FC – and San Diego Wave’s Casey Stoney. Ramsay became the youngest UK coach to earn his Uefa Pro Licence in 2019, and served as an assistant coach for Wales in 2023.

Ramsay, who was born in Shrewsbury and grew up in Llanfyllin, Wales, played for Welshpool Town and Loughborough University, where he began his coaching career alongside Kieran McKenna, who is now the manager of Ipswich Town. He has also worked in coaching roles at Swansea, Shrewsbury Town and Chelsea, and captained the Wales futsal team in 2014.

Minnesota’s chief soccer officer, Khaled El-Ahmad, said: “After an extensive search that included dozens of impressive domestic and international candidates, we are confident that Eric Ramsay is the best choice to lead our club.”

“His experience working with top-level players, coaches, and sporting staff at both the club and international level – as well as his alignment in playing style and development philosophy – all fit with the vision we have for the future of MNUFC.”

Minnesota United joined MLS as an expansion team in 2017, and reached the playoff semi-finals in 2020. The team, whose best-known international player is the former Norwich striker Teemu Pukki, began the 2024 season with a 2-1 victory at Austin.

Ramsay will be the second permanent head coach in franchise history after Adrian Heath, who joined the team before their inaugural season, left in October 2023. Cameron Knowles had been acting as interim coach before Ramsay’s arrival.