Ruud van Nistelrooy’s return to Manchester United has been welcomed, despite his cold exit from the club in 2006 after a clash with Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant Carlos Queiroz over Cristiano Ronaldo.
Van Nistelrooy left Old Trafford in less than ideal circumstances but has now rejoined the club as Erik ten Hag’s assistant, earning the admiration of fans and players alike with his coaching methods.
The Dutchman was already a fan favourite as a player at the Theatre of Dreams, having scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for United.
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Van Nistelrooy has been in charge of the training sessions with the focus on moving the ball into wide areas to create scoring opportunities.
Now 48, his role as assistant coach alongside Rene Hake has brought a new dynamic to United’s coaching staff. Although Ten Hag and Hake share a history from their days at FC Twente, Ten Hag’s connection with Van Nistelrooy was more deeply rooted in Dutch football circles.
The decision to revamp the coaching staff this summer, supported by new co-owners INEOS, has seen a shake-up with former assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag leaving to take up managerial roles and Steve McClaren moving into a senior first-team coaching role.
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Christian Eriksen spoke to reporters about the changes at the club and was enthusiastic: “I was sad to see Benni (McCarthy) and Mitchell (van der Gaag) go. I had a good relationship with both of them and they are two amazing guys.
“It’s tough, but with Ruud and René I’m sure everything will be fine,” he added.
Van Nistelrooy and Hake are not the only new faces on this pre-season tour of the United States, there is also goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar, who was initially set to join Ajax but ended up joining United. Darren Fletcher has also joined the coaching staff on a full-time basis, along with former Lillestrom coach Andreas Georgson.
Fletcher and Van Nistelrooy have known each other since they were players and now work together. The Dutchman’s experience and knowledge seem to be valued by all members of the team, not just the attackers.
The respect for Van Nistelrooy is evident, with both Jonny Evans and goalkeeper Tom Heaton praising his contributions.
“I think Ruud’s return has been fantastic, especially for me,” Evans said. “I grew up idolizing Ruud and the way he played.”
“I had the chance to watch him play when he was in the youth team, when he was coming to the end of his career at United.
Only time will tell whether this new coaching staff will help Ten Hag achieve his goals, but what seems clear is that so far the decision has gone down well with the team.
