Ruud van Nistelrooy has already made a lasting impression on Manchester United’s first-team players after his sensational return to Old Trafford in the summer.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag saw a major shake-up to his Manchester United coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
Former Go Ahead Eagles head coach Rene Hake and ex-PSV Eindhoven boss Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived as the new assistant managers for Erik ten Hag.
United legend Van Nistelrooy spent the whole of the 2023-24 season on the sidelines after he left his first managerial role at PSV Eindhoven in 2023.
Despite leading PSV to a Dutch Cup, the 48-year-old United assistant manager stepped down from his position before the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Van Nistelrooy had been tipped with a return to management before the Dutchman became part of Ten Hag’s United coaching staff in the summer.
Van Nistelrooy’s impact on Man Utd
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans welcomed the return of Ruud van Nistelrooy to Old Trafford and praised the influence he has had at the club.
Van Nistelrooy was a fan favourite during his time as a United player under Sir Alex Ferguson and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.
Evans waxed lyrical about the once “deadly striker” and how Van Nistelrooy has been “very open” and keen to “improve people” at the Red Devils.
The 36-year-old, who signed a new contract with the club in the summer, also revealed that Van Nistelrooy is “quite obsessed” with “defensive structure.”
“He was a deadly striker and for him to pass on his knowledge straight away meant he had everyone’s respect immediately,” Evans told FourFourTwo magazine.
“Joining United is a great move for him and for the club. He seems very open and wants to improve people.
“You can see that he’s early enough in his career that he’s hungry to do well and pass on his abundance of knowledge. He’s quite obsessed with defensive structure.”
Van Nistelrooy earns big praise at Man Utd
Tom Heaton, much like United teammate Jonny Evans, extended his stay at Old Trafford after he received a new deal in the summer.
The 38-year-old United shot-stopper was part of the youth academy when Van Nistelrooy was a player at Old Trafford and welcomed his return to the club.
“Me and Ruud spent a bit of time together then – I was always his go-to keeper for shooting,” he said in July, as per The Guardian.
“He’s been brilliant, his level of detail superb. You’d be forgiven for thinking that he’s a United legend coming in so is just here [as a face].
“But his level of detail, and I’ve been in a couple of meetings, is outstanding.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
