The former PSV Eindhoven manager and Manchester United striker is a new name connected to the King Power Stadium job in Leicester City.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former striker for Real Madrid and Manchester United, is the most recent name to surface in relation to the soon-to-be vacant Leicester City position.
The Dutchman hasn’t had a job since leaving PSV Eindhoven a year ago, but he is reportedly being considered by City as they try to find a worthy replacement for Enzo Maresca, who is headed to Chelsea. The likelihood of Van Nistelrooy being named his successor is low.
Most people may not be aware of his record in the dugout because they know him best as the legendary goal scorer who captained the team for five years at Old Trafford. Here, we go over his coaching background, strategies, player testimonials, and more.
What’s his track record?
Like Maresca, Van Nistelrooy spent much of the first few years of his coaching career as an assistant or in youth football, working at PSV or with his national team. His first big test was as head coach of Jong PSV, the reserve side to the Dutch giants, who play in the second division in the Netherlands.
Under Van Nistelrooy’s guidance, they finished 12th of 20 in the 2021-22 season. But working with a squad whose average age was under 20, Van Nistelrooy impressed the hierarchy enough to be selected to take the senior job at PSV from 2022 onwards.
In his first season in charge, Van Nistelrooy’s PSV finished second in Eredivisie to new Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his Feyenoord side, but they did go on to win the Dutch Cup, beating Ajax on penalties in the final. They also had the best attack in the league.
A week before the end of the campaign, Van Nistelrooy stepped down. In a statement put out by PSV, it was said that the former striker believed “there was not enough support within the club to continue longer”.
Van Nistelrooy has a good record of bringing through youth players as well. When Noni Madueke was sold to Chelsea, he gave Johan Bakayoko, a player he’d worked with for Jong PSV, a more prominent on the right flank, and the Belgian has gone from strength to strength since, and could be a player to watch at the Euros this summer.
How do his teams play?
PSV predominantly played in a 4-2-3-1 shape under Van Nistelrooy, but what is most interesting is that, in attack, that shape changed to a 3-2-4-1, which was how City lined up under Maresca. But that had to be adapted midway through the season.
In the first half of the campaign, a full-back would tuck inside, as happens with Ricardo Pereira at City. But when first-choice wingers Cody Gakpo and Madueke were sold to Liverpool and Chelsea in January 2023, Van Nistelrooy tinkered.
He then opted to play Xavi Simons on the left wing out of possession, but as an attacking midfielder in possession. The left-back, most regularly former City loanee Patrick van Aanholt, would then move forward to become a left-sided winger. The right-back would tuck in to form a back three.
Both with Jong PSV in 21-22 and PSV in 22-23, Van Nistelrooy’s teams ranked fourth in their leagues for possession. There was an element of aggressive defending with plenty of tackles and interceptions won by PSV, especially given their average possession, but not a lot of those were in the attacking third, and were more likely to come in the centre of the park.
What have his players said about him?
Before Jarrad Branthwaite was impressing for Everton and earning call-ups to the England squad, he was on loan at Van Nistelrooy’s PSV. As an excellent striker, Van Nistelrooy knows how to make defenders better too.
Branthwaite said: “As a striker Ruud knew what defenders didn’t like so he was always giving me little tips, about body positions and how to defend against different kinds of strikers, which helped me massively. The whole experience matured me as a player, as a man as well and I came back a much better player than I had been 12 months previously.”
Of course, he can coach finishing too, having scored 349 goals in 592 club matches across his career. Madueke said shortly after joining Chelsea: “Ruud van Nistelrooy helped me out a lot, obviously in front of goal.
“He’s a great player and a great coach as well and a great person. If you went and spoke to him right now, you would not feel like you’re speaking to the legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, you’d just feel like you’re speaking to Ruud the man.”
Why did he leave PSV and what does he want next?
Late into the season, there were reports that Van Nistelrooy had a strained relationship with his two assistants Fred Rutten and Andre Ooijer, something the manager denied. There was also said to be tension with players, with senior members of the squad speaking to the club about it. This led to a club meeting with Van Nistelrooy, after which he stepped down.
A club statement said that “after several discussions about internal affairs that have taken place in recent weeks… Van Nistelrooy reported this morning that in his opinion there was not enough support within the club to continue longer. He immediately explained this to the players and staff.”
Van Nistelrooy has not been in work since, but is looking to return to the dugout. He said this month: “I would really like to work in Spain and I have had conversations with Spanish clubs. But also the other leagues in which I have played, I want to coach there too. In the Premier League and the Bundesliga.”
