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Manchester United assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has revealed he returned to Old Trafford after he was approached by Erik ten Hag.
During the recently concluded summer transfer window, United made many eye-catching moves, including beating Real Madrid to the signing of Leny Yoro.
INEOS were equally ambitious when it came to strengthening their backroom staff.
They made a real statement of intent by bringing in Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy to help manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline, as both Hake and Van Nistelrooy boast managerial experiences on their respective CVs.
The arrival of the club’s ex-striker, in particular, is seen as a real coup as he impressed with his management skills and tactical acumen at PSV Eindhoven, leading the club to the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup after taking over the helm in March 2022.
Further, Van Nistelrooy also attracted interest from Burnley and Leicester City before his return to the Theatre of Dreams.
In a recent interview with his former teammate Rio Ferdinand for TNT Sports, the 48-year-old shed light on his decision to accept the role of Ten Hag’s assistant.
Van Nistelrooy said: “I was on a managerial track, I managed PSV, it was an unbelievable experience. I was in talks with clubs to manage, I had my staff all ready. And then I had a phone call and I was like ‘jeez’ I never thought of it as a possibility.”
“I was on a managerial track, and then I had the phone call. I was like ‘jeez’. I never thought of it as a possibility.”@RvN1776 shares with @rioferdy5 the moment Man Utd came calling ❤️
💻 Watch Rio’s visit to Carrington in full: https://t.co/HnpnczQzvf pic.twitter.com/oNa5mZanpl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 24, 2024
“Erik called me and talked it through. I started to love the idea,” he added.
It appears his presence at Carrington has been received very well. Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report suggesting Rasmus Hojlund is excited to work with the legendary number nine.
The United striker supposedly believes Van Nistelrooy’s arrival is a “huge moment in the development of his career” in Manchester.
Earlier this summer, it was claimed that Marcus Rashford is holding one-on-one sessions with the new assistant coach. The reported “extra sessions” are already showing results, as the United talisman has started the new season strongly, having already scored three goals across all competitions.
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