Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has given an indication as to why he decided to bring Ruud van Nistelrooy back to the Old Trafford club. The Dutch striker played for United from the summer of 2001 until the summer of 2006, making 219 appearances, scoring 150 goals and 30 assists.
A falling out with then manager Sir Alex Ferguson saw the prolific Dutchman leave the Theatre of Dreams for Real Madrid in a €14 million deal, also playing for Hamburger SV and Málaga before ending his playing career and becoming a coach at youth level for PSV Eindhoven – his former club.
United supporters saw Van Nistelrooy on the sidelines for the very first time in United’s opening pre-season match of the summer against Rosenborg at the Larkendal Stadium in Trondheim, Norway on Monday evening. United lost 1-0 with the solitary goal scored in the dying embers of the match.
There is a lot of work for United to do this summer, even before this defeat, which does not really matter as pre-season matches are for fitness, rather than glory. Ten Hag and Van Nistelrooy will have to work with Rene Hake and Jelle ten Rouwelaar to get the better of the squad this summer.
Speaking to MUTV after the opening defeat of the pre-season campaign, Ten Hag spoke about Van Nistelrooy, confirming that he has in effect replaced Benni McCarthy as the coach for the forwards and strikers at the club, which makes a lot of sense. The Dutchman said:
“He is a very ambitious manager and he has a great skill set as a manager, so he will help the team and he will help individual players. He will help the team in all the team functions with football, especially in attacking and pressing plays.”
Van Nistelrooy, 48, was linked to Burnley and Leicester City this summer, potentially coming to England to manage a club. However, his return to United as an assistant manager seemed to be more fitting for the Dutchman. Tan Hag spoke about his compatriot a bit more, saying:
“First of all, his character has brought him so far and it’s an example for everyone here in the building. Of course, he will also bring some DNA of Manchester United in, but that character is such a strong driver and that is also what he shows as a coach.
“He has such a highly interesting profile, he’s so ambitious, he has the skills and he already has a lot of experience. He’s assisted the Dutch squad, in PSV he did the Under-19s as a manager, he did the Under-21s, Jong PSV, who were playing at the second level and then he was manager of the first team.
“So much experience, but very young, very ambitious, very driven. With his skills and his intelligence, he will help all the players and the team.”
United’s defeat to Rosenborg in Norway will not be a big issue for the club despite senior players like Jonny Evans, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Mount, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford all starting the match because it was early in the summer against a team in the middle of their season.
United will face Rangers at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday before embarking on the USA leg of their tour where they will face Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium, California, Real Betis at the Snapdragon Stadium, California and Liverpool at the Williams Brice Stadium in North Carolina.
By the end of the pre-season tour, with United returning to open the season with the FA Community Shield clash against Manchester City to contest the first trophy of the season before embarking on their Premier League season six days later at Old Trafford against Fulham.
Written by Paul
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