Ruud van Nistelrooy is “proud and excited” to take on a new challenge after leaving Manchester United’s dugout. Despite his strong desire to remain at United, the Dutch legend didn’t have to wait long for a new opportunity. He’s returning to the English Premier League, this time as head coach of Leicester City.
Leicester moved quickly to appoint van Nistelrooy after sacking Steve Cooper last Sunday. On Friday, the club announced a deal with the former striker, running until the end of the 2027 season.
The former Netherlands and Manchester United forward rejoined United last July as part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff. However, after a series of poor performances, Ten Hag was dismissed last month, and van Nistelrooy took over as interim coach. Under his leadership, United won three of four matches and drew the other.
Despite his success, the club appointed Portuguese coach Rúben Amorim as their new head coach. Amorim brought his support staff from Sporting Lisbon, leaving no room for van Nistelrooy, who was forced to leave the club a couple of weeks ago. Van Nistelrooy had publicly expressed his desire to stay in any capacity, but the transition made his departure inevitable.
Interestingly, during his stint as interim coach, van Nistelrooy oversaw two dominant victories over Leicester City. Now, as the 48-year-old Dutchman takes charge of the Foxes, he is eager to make his mark.
“I’m proud and excited. Everyone I’ve spoken to about Leicester City Football Club has been so positive. There are incredible stories about the quality of people working here, the supporters, and of course, the club’s recent history,” van Nistelrooy said.
That “recent history” includes Leicester’s fairytale Premier League title win in the 2015-16 season. However, the club struggled to maintain that level of success and suffered relegation in 2023. They returned to the Premier League this season but are off to a rocky start, sitting 16th on the table with just 10 points from 12 matches.
Leicester’s poor form led to Cooper’s dismissal after just 157 days in charge. His tenure ended following a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea. Van Nistelrooy now faces the tough challenge of reviving Leicester’s fortunes.
Aside from his brief stint as interim coach at United, this marks van Nistelrooy’s second full-time head coaching role. In the 2022-23 season, he led PSV Eindhoven to a Dutch Cup victory. The Leicester job presents an opportunity for him to further establish his credentials as a head coach.
