Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to Manchester United has been warmly welcomed, despite his frosty departure from the club in 2006 after a clash with Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant, Carlos Queiroz about Cristiano Ronaldo.
Van Nistelrooy left Old Trafford under less-than-ideal circumstances but has now rejoined the club as Erik ten Hag’s assistant, earning admiration from both fans and players with his training methods.
The Dutchman was already a fan favorite as a player at the Theatre of Dreams as he bagged 150 goals in 219 appearances for United.
Van Nistelrooy has been taking charge of training sessions with a focus on moving the ball into wide areas to set up goalscoring opportunities.
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Now 48, his role as an assistant manager alongside Rene Hake has brought a fresh dynamic to United's coaching staff. Although Ten Hag and Hake share history from their days at FC Twente, Ten Hag’s connection to Van Nistelrooy was more rooted in Dutch football circles.
The decision to overhaul the coaching staff this summer, supported by new co-owners INEOS, has seen a reshuffling with former assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag leaving to pursue managerial roles and Steve McClaren transitioning to a senior first-team coach role.
🇳🇱 Rene 🤝 Ruud 🇳🇱#MUFC pic.twitter.com/BeIga5hlcJ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 24, 2024
Christian Eriksen discussed the changes at the club when chatting with reporters and seemed enthusiastic.
"I was sad to see Benni (McCarthy) and Mitchell (van der Gaag) leave. I had a good relationship with both of them and they are both incredible guys," he said. "It’s tough but with Ruud and Rene I’m sure it’s going to go well."
Van Nistelrooy and Hake are not the only new faces on this preseason tour across the USA, including goalkeeper coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar, who was initially set to join Ajax but came to United instead. Darren Fletcher has also been added to the coaching staff on a full-time basis, alongside Andreas Georgson, the former Lillestrom manager.
Fletcher and Van Nistelrooy know each other from their playing days and are now working alongside one another. The Dutchman’s experience and knowledge look to be valued across all members of the squad, not just the attackers.
The respect in which Van Nistelrooyis held is clear, with both Jonny Evans and goalkeeper Tom Heaton praising his contributions.
"I think obviously having Ruud come back has been great, especially for myself," Evans said. "I sort of grew up idolising Ruud and the way he used to play.
"I got a little bit of a chance when I was in the youth team to see him play, when he was coming to the end of his United career.
Only time will tell whether this revamped coaching team will help Ten Hag achieve his goals, but what appears to be evident is that the decision is going down well with the squad so far.
