Wout Weghorst hungry for more glory after Carabao Cup success with Man Utd

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Wout Weghorst is hungry for more after winning the first trophy of his career just six whirlwind weeks after making his shock loan switch to Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag’s side thought outside the box as they looked to reinforce a frontline that saw veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo make a dramatic exit and Anthony Martial struggle to stay fit.

Even Weghorst was surprised when he found out about United’s enquiry midway through his season-long loan from Sky Bet Championship leaders Burnley to Turkish giants Besiktas.

📸🔥#MUFC || #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/NUFuYKUBtW

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 26, 2023

Complications were smoothed over to get the deal done and the towering striker has played in all 12 matches since arriving, including Sunday’s 2-0 victory against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.

Asked what he would have said if told two months ago he would now be winning a trophy with United, Weghorst said with a smile: “Deal!

“It’s great, just a great feeling. Of course for me not this long time that I’m here but I think for the club it’s a long time ago we win the silverware. It’s good to have it back at the place where it belongs, to me.

“It’s an amazing club, it’s a big club, you know, really happy we could win this one.”

THESE SCENES 🔥#MUFC || #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/xqjtUj0HU6

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 26, 2023

United had not won silverware since 2017 – the club’s longest trophy drought in 40 years – and the Carabao Cup is the first winners’ medal of experienced Weghorst’s career.

“In the Netherlands I played two cup finals, lost both of them,” the 30-year-old said. “This was the third time.

“Of course that’s something special and of course you put in all the hard work, hard effort to get really something in your head.

“So, yeah, also for me it’s personal and it’s really nice to win a trophy.”

Weghorst played at Emmen, Heracles, AZ Alkmaar and Wolfsburg before joining Burnley for £12million last January.

The experienced striker left for Istanbul following their relegation, with mammoth moments like this seeming further away and all the sweeter to experience.

“I just took a moment (after the match),” Weghorst said. “I can do really tough or I can do really cool but, yeah, for me this is a childhood dream.

“A childhood dream to play for this amazing club, to play a final and also be important in this final with the second goal.

“Yeah, just to give my all and then at the end if you win it you have to enjoy it also because like during this day, during the match you’re only focused on one thing and that’s winning it and that’s performing.

“So, yeah, after which you have to take a minute otherwise everything is passing you by before you even notice and before you’ve enjoyed it.

“So, yeah, I took a moment there and that was the greatest moment of the evening.”

There is little time to bask in the afterglow of Ten Hag’s first trophy as United manager given the FA Cup fifth-round clash with West Ham looms on Wednesday as an unrelenting schedule continues.

The Red Devils remain in the Premier League title hunt and head to Liverpool next weekend, before kicking off their Europa League last-16 tie against Real Betis as they fight for three more trophies.

“You see (the passion) in the group, you can feel it in a group,” Weghorst, who saw a spectacular third denied by Loris Karius, said. “It’s been living (in the group).

“Of course the manager was the first one who was always putting the tension on it, saying ‘no, we’re living to win’.

“There’s a great feeling within the club, within the team, the lads together. I mean, to be honest, it’s something special to notice this.

“We win the first one now and still three to go so, yeah, hungry for more.”

There is no doubt meticulous manager Ten Hag will be driving home that message having altered the group’s mentality since joining from Ajax in the summer.

“Like I said, he has been living to win, the intention of this every day,” Weghorst added.

“He’s living for it. You can feel it – really detailed how the way we he works, the way we work every day, every match.

“A lot of attention on where our opportunities so he’s, first of all, a great manager with a lot of quality, definitely connects the two things together. It’s a great combination.”