Ruud van Nistelrooy 'had his staff all ready' before accepting Man Utd job offer

New Manchester United interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy had a coaching team primed for his next move before his shock return to Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag was sacked by United on Monday, following the team’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham at the weekend. The result leaves United 14th in the Premier League, with just one win in their last eight games across all competitions. Van Nistelrooy has been placed in temporary charge until a permanent successor is appointed.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, is already a United hero, having scored 150 goals for the club as a player, and returned to Old Trafford as a coach in June. The Premier League winner was part of a revamped coaching team, with Van Nistelrooy and his compatriot Rene Hake joining Ten Hag’s backroom staff, replacing the outgoing Mitchell van der Gaag and Benni McCarthy.

It was a surprise move for Van Nistelrooy, who won the 2023 KNVB Cup as PSV Eindhoven manager before stepping down. In an interview with his former team-mate Rio Ferdinand last month, the Dutchman admitted he was on the verge of a return to management before he received a surprise call from Ten Hag to rejoin United.

"It’s 100% the right decision," Van Nistelrooy told TNT Sports about his decision to rejoin United in the summer. "I felt a strong feeling that I want to help build United – little by little – back to where we feel and know where the club should be.

"I was on the managerial track. I managed PSV – an unbelievable experience – and I was in talks with clubs to manage, and I love it. I had my staff all ready, and then I had a phone call. I was like, ‘Jeez’. I never thought of it as a possibility.

"Erik called me. I said I had to think about it, but I immediately felt, ‘Wow’. I started to love the idea. Especially the big picture where it’s a new start with the new ownership and leadership. A phase where you start to rebuild and be a part of it.”

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Van Nistelrooy’s role in Ten Hag’s team saw him oversee training sessions and be responsible for opposition and post-match meetings alongside Hake and ex-teammate Darren Fletcher. Given United’s poor league form last season, Van Nistelooy’s arrival signalled to many that he was a ready-made replacement for Ten Hag.

The ex-striker’s first game as interim manager will be on Wednesday against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. However, the Daily Star has reported, via sources in the Netherlands, that Van Nistelrooy will be reluctant to take the United job permanently as it could be seen as a betrayal to Ten Hag.

In his chat with Ferdinand, Van Nistelrooy gave an insight into how he viewed his role at United: "I just want to contribute to where the club should be and, little by little, bring it there,” he said in September. “I hope when they reach it, it will be soon. I want to contribute. I feel a strong feeling that I want to do that."

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