Ruud van Nistelrooy departed from Manchester United’s coaching staff on Monday, as the club’s new manager, Ruben Amorim, arrived at the Carrington training complex to start his tenure at Old Trafford.
The former Dutch striker, a United legend from his playing days, had been appointed interim head coach after Erik ten Hag was dismissed in late October. Van Nistelrooy led United to three wins and one draw in his four games in charge, concluding with a decisive 3-0 victory over Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Originally brought in as an assistant coach in July on a two-year contract, Van Nistelrooy had hoped to remain at United and work alongside Amorim. However, on Monday, the club confirmed that the 48-year-old would not be part of the new coaching team.
“Manchester United can confirm that Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club,” the official statement read. “Ruud returned in the summer and led the team as interim head coach over the past four games. Ruud is, and will always remain, a Manchester United legend. We appreciate his contributions and the professionalism he displayed. He will always be warmly welcomed at Old Trafford.”
Alongside Van Nistelrooy, coaches Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar, and Pieter Morel have also exited. United stated that they would announce the full first-team coaching setup in the coming days.
Reflecting on his interim period, Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals during his time at United, expressed gratitude. “I truly enjoyed it; it’s been a brief yet wonderful experience,” he said after the Leicester match. “It’s been uncertain, but we focused on helping the club as best as we could. The support from fans through challenging times has been incredible, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Ruben Amorim was appointed United’s new head coach earlier this month. The 39-year-old arrived from Portugal on Monday after completing his term at Sporting Lisbon with a 4-2 victory over Braga. At Carrington, he was greeted by United’s chief executive, Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Amorim is United’s sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign ended in 2013. With the team currently sitting in 13th place in the Premier League but only four points from the top four, he faces a challenging start. His first match as United manager will be an away fixture against Ipswich on November 24, following the international break.
