Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy’s playing career needs little introduction for any football fan who was around in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, but his stellar playing career really centred around three clubs – PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Once the serial winner and goalscorer hung up his playing boots he stepped into the world of coaching and after a bit of an international stint, and a good spell back at PSV in their youth ranks, he stepped into the main job at the club on a three year deal.
Even though he had already lifted the Johan Cruyff Shield, the KNVB Cup and boasted a win percentage of 64.71 with only eight defeats from his 51 games in charge, he resigned with one game left in the 2022/23 campaign citing a lack of ‘support’.
Having been appointed as an assistant coach at Manchester United, he eventually replaced Erik ten Hag as interim head coach when he departed Old Trafford, but with Rubin Amorim’s arrival, he left having overseen three wins and a draw from his four games in charge.
As this week progressed, there was heavy speculation that he was now favourite to turn up in Leicester City’s dug out after Steve Cooper moved on with them just one point shy of the relegation spots with 12 games now having been played. On Friday evening his appointment was confirmed as official, and even though he does boast a good record during his time as a manager, there are a lot of issues he needs to deal with and turn around at the King Power Stadium.
He has signed a contract keeping him with them until June 2027, and naturally he was pleased to be back in the hot seat with another chance to prove himself, but he will not officially take charge until December 3 where they face West Ham United.
It has been a difficult time for Leicester since they lost Enzo Maresca to Chelsea over the summer, and Cooper reportedly never fully managed to win the dressing room over during what became a 157 day spell at the club and although that will be a battle Van Nistelrooy now takes on, he may already have a small advantage here as Maresca is an old Malaga team mate and the two have remained in touch – with RVN already revealing that he had spoken to his mate ahead of taking the job, and received nothing but a glowing recommendation.
With it also suggested that Jamie Vardy was one of those backing Cooper, he will certainly enjoy playing under a striker of RVN’s calibre, so it could be win, win.
Presumably that can only help any dressing room unrest here, but fans in the wider world of football will probably be keeping a very close eye on how he does.