Ruud van Nistelrooy is already fast making his presence felt at Manchester United after making his return to the club as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistant managers ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Van Nistelrooy has made full use of his time in putting his mark on the Manchester United squad after rejoining the club as an integral member of ten Hag’s coaching staff.
This summer saw the appointment of Van Nistelrooy and former Go Ahead Eagles boss Rene Hake as assistant managers as ten Hag revamped his backroom team after being retained by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and signing a new long-term contract. Van Nistelrooy is no stranger to the Old Trafford establishment and their fans icon, having scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for United between 2000 and 2006. After his retirement as a player he managed Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, resigning only at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Van NIstelrooy is already currently heavily involved in preparations for the new season, with United facing bitter rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday. Video clips recently released by the club show Van Nistelrooy in charge of a training session, which suggests he is already putting his stamp on the squad, which is facing heavy expectations to improve on last season’s dismal eighth-place finish.
As an intereting aside, there have been suggestions he could actually replace Ten Hag in the wake of the 48-year-old’s appointment, in the event that the Red Devils should get off to a poor start in the Premier League. However, former United midfielder Gordon Strachan is certain this is an unlikely scenario. The Scot cannot see the new United hierarchy placing Van Nistelrooy in charge even if Ten Hag were to be given the sack mid-season.
Strachan told topoffshorecasinos.com: “No, I don’t think that Erik ten Hag will be looking at Ruud van Nistelrooy and thinking to himself that man wants my job.
“You can’t be looking over your shoulder as a manager, that’s the last thing you would do. I think it would be far too obvious if the club are thinking about replacing Ten Hag with Ruud van Nistelrooy. It would be too transparent.
“As a manager, it’s just another part of the job that he has to deal with. I’ve managed clubs where certain players have really close relationships with the hierarchy of executives, and you just have to get on with it.
“I just can’t see the people who are calling the shots appointing Van Nistelrooy if things turn sour. It’s like having a burglar sitting in the dugout wearing a balaclava and a hooped shirt carrying a swag bag.”