Ruud van Nistelrooy is Man Utd legend who spectacularly fell out with bosses and quit PSV job before taking a gap year
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY is set to take the helm at Manchester United following Erik ten Hag’s sacking.
The legendary Red Devils striker was brought in during the summer as a part of Ten Hag’s backroom staff.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over as interim Manchester United managerThe Times
He has now been in coaching for more than 10 yearsAlamy
He oversaw the club’s dismal start to the season as an assistant coach, with Man Utd winning just four of 13 games in all competitions.
On Monday morning, it was confirmed Ten Hag had been dismissed.
Van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of the team while the search for a permanent successor is ongoing.
But what has happened so far in the 48-year-old’s coaching career to lead him to this point?
Retirement and first steps in coaching
Van Nistelrooy retired from playing in 2012 having scored 384 goals in 662 games for club and country.
He played for some of the biggest sides in world football including Man Utd and Real Madrid – and aimed to take that experience into coaching.
He joined PSV in 2013 and began working with their U17s side, before he became the head coach of the reserve team three years later.
During that time, he also spent a period as an assistant to Holland manager Guus Hiddink.
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In 2018, Van Nistelrooy succeeded former team-mate Mark van Bommel as manager of PSV’s U19s.
While holding that position, he was also recruited by Holland boss Ronald Koeman for the country’s Euro 2020 campaign – where he worked as assistant manager.
First high-profile job in management
In March 2022, Van Nistelrooy replaced Roger Schmidt as manager of PSV’s first team.
He narrowly missed out on the Eredivisie title to Ajax, finishing two points adrift.
He then guided the club to trophy wins in the Johan Cruyff Shield and KNVB Cup in the 2022/23 campaign.
But they again came up short in the Eredivise as Feyenoord claimed the title.
Van Nistelrooy resigned with one game left of the league season after a falling out with staff members at PSV.
Marcel van der Kraan, sports editor of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, told BBC Sport: “There was a breaking-down in the relationship between him and the assistants.
“He stuck to his principles.”
It is also understood as many as six PSV players made their dissatisfaction towards Van Nistelrooy known to the board.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy
The Red Devils legend, 48, is no stranger to the pressures of Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games for Man Utd and helped them to the 2002-03 Premier League title.
The striker also starred for another monster club, Real Madrid, as a player before going into coaching.
The 70-cap ex-Holland international managed PSV’s youth team before landing the senior job for the 2022-23 season.
Van Nistelrooy landed a coaching job under Ten Hag earlier this year and is said to have done a superb job working with the clubs strikers behind the scenes.
And now he will have the chance to show what he can do in a live ‘interview’ of sorts.
How long the club will give him is another matter.
Gareth Southgate
The former England boss, 54, has long been linked with the Man Utd job.
The former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender has gone on to enjoy great success as a manager – albeit without getting his hands on a major trophy.
Southgate managed Middlesbrough between 2006 and 2009 before taking on the England Under-21s job between 2013 and 2016.
The 57-cap former Three Lions international then took the senior national job, replacing Roy Hodgson.
Southgate brought the nation together as he led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, as well as the final of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
However, he left his role in the summer following the defeat to Spain and was replaced by Lee Carsley on an interim basis.
Thomas Tuchel – another boss long linked with the Old Trafford job – will take over the reins in 2025.
Southgate has been out of club management for 15 years and a portion of England fans were frustrated by what they deemed a defensive style.
However, his ability to largely galvanise the fan-base and deal with the pressure of one of the biggest jobs in sport with real class would be a huge asset for United.
Edin Terzic
Earlier this month, SunSport revealed Edin Terzic is the shock name on United’s list to replace Ten Hag.
German Terzic took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season before surprisingly quitting.
He has many admirers at Old Trafford and it would he a smart but unexpected move to go for him if they sack under-fire Ten Hag.
Terzic, 41, did his coaching badges in England, where he was friends with fellow United target Graham Potter, and then worked as Slaven Bilic’s No 2 at West Ham.
He rose to the top in Germany during two spells at Dortmund before he walked away in June.
Graham Potter
The English boss, 49, has been out of work since being axed by Chelsea in April 2023.
Potter excited fans with his attacking approach at Brighton before he was poached by the Blues.
However, he failed to lift Chelsea out of their funk and was given his marching orders.
Potter’s fans include Manchester City mastermind Pep Guardiola.
And there’s no doubt the ex-OstersundS FK and Swansea boss would get United playing on the front foot, something Old Trafford fans have long craved.
Kieran McKenna
Cruelly denied a playing career due to injury, the former Tottenham youth prospect has excelled as a coach.
McKenna, 38, worked as Under-18s coach at both Spurs and Man Utd before landing the top job at Ipswich Town.
The young boss incredibly guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, guiding them from League One back to the Premier League, ending the club’s 22-year absence.
McKenna was quickly added to a host of clubs’ wish-lists, including Man Utd, according to reports.
But Ipswich reacted swiftly to offer him a new, long-term contract.
However, his side are yet to win any of their opening nine Premier League games, with four wins and five defeats.
McKenna has Ipswich playing exciting, expansive football – something Man Utd fans crave.
The big question now is whether McKenna opts to jump ship or stay loyal.
Ruben Amorim, Xavi and Thomas Frank are also three names very much believed to be in the running.
Gap year
Van Nistelrooy had a number of managerial offers on the table after leaving PSV.
Instead, he passed up those opportunities and took a gap year in an attempt to develop his coaching knowledge.
He travelled to Real Madrid, Boca Juniors and River Plate to see how various clubs work.
Van der Kraan added: “He’s not a proud man in that way, he’s not arrogant. He wanted to bounce his own ideas off others.
“On his dream football trip, he went to all the big games. He spoke to Martin Demichelis, the River Plate manager, for hours and hours about coaching.
“He also went to experience the football culture. He told me he walked through La Boca in Buenos Aires and saw ‘The eternity of Maradona’ painted on the walls in tribute to the Argentina legend, who died in 2020. He said: ‘You need to win the culture of an area.’
“At Man Utd, it’s probably more vital than at any other club in England that you know the culture of the club, of the area, and Ruud does.”
Style of play
He returned to coaching in the summer as Ten Hag‘s assistant but is now being asked to step up to the top job after just a few months.
Van Nistelrooy’s style of play is described as “realistic”, not “super attacking” but with a degree of “venom”.
As PSV boss, his side scored 126 goals and conceded 60 in 51 games.
Man Utd fans will be given their first insight into his style when they host Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
His opening Premier League game in charge will come at Old Trafford on Sunday when they face Chelsea.
