Ruud van Nistelrooy left a long-lasting impact on one former Manchester United teammate whom he played alongside under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
The 48-year-old Manchester United legend is widely regarded as one of the best Premier League strikers of all time after a remarkable spell at the Red Devils.
Ruud van Nistelrooy first arrived at United in 2001 after Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for a British record transfer fee at the time of £19m from PSV Eindhoven.
The former United striker had initially been slated to link up with the Red Devils in 2000 before a failed medical test scuppered his move to Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy spent five seasons at the Premier League club and the former Netherlands international showcased his prolific and devastating finishing ability.
During his time at Old Trafford as a United player, Van Nistelrooy lifted a Premier League title, an FA Cup and a League Cup under former United manager Ferguson.
The ex-PSV Eindhoven star scored an incredible 150 times in 219 matches for United before his relationship with Ferguson was fractured and he was sold to Real Madrid.
Giuseppe Rossi picked up one crucial lesson from Ruud van Nistelrooy after Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for Man Utd
Ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s departure to Real Madrid in 2006, the former Manchester United assistant manager shared the pitch with Giuseppe Rossi.
Giuseppe Rossi arrived at Old Trafford in 2004 when he was only a teenager after Sir Alex Ferguson landed him from the youth academy of Italian side Parma.
The 38-year-old ex-forward only made 14 United first-team appearances for the Red Devils before the Premier League club agreed to sell him to Spanish side Villarreal.
Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, Rossi praised the brilliance of Van Nistelrooy and he called the former Madrid and United striker the best No 9 he had ever seen.
The ex-Villarreal and United player added that Van Nistelrooy’s first touch in the box was something that he adopted into his playing style after seeing it first-hand.
“The greatest No 9 I ever saw,” Rossi said.
“His first touch in the penalty box, with defenders all around him, was just beautiful.
“That’s something I tried to learn from. He knew how to use his body and put himself in the right position to score.
“I was lucky to have him as a mentor, and a neighbour.”
Giuseppe Rossi reveals what Man Utd legend Ryan Giggs showed him about football during his time at Old Trafford
Giuseppe Rossi admitted that Ryan Giggs had a big impact on his family, specifically his father, and he was in “awe” when he first met the United legend.
“He was crazy,” he said.
“I watched him on TV and he was my dad’s favourite player. When we first arrived at United, we met him and were totally in awe.
“Ryan made the game seem simple and effortless – I never knew it could be played that way.
“Of the many goals he scored, I assisted one of them, which was a great honour.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy lifted two La Liga titles during his spell with Real Madrid before he went on to play for Hamburg and Malaga, with the United legend retiring in 2012.
Rossi played regular first-team football at Villarreal after he left United in 2007 and he later called it time on his career in 2023 after his last spell with SPAL.
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