Less than two weeks after leaving Manchester United for the second time, Ruud Van Nistelrooy is being looked at for vacant managerial positions in Hamburg and Leicester City.

Nistelrooy exited Old Trafford earlier this month upon Ruben Amorim’s appointment as head coach and after serving as interim coach for four games. Although his time in the dugout has been short and inconsistent, the former striker is a Man United legend and a commendable coach. Was Man UTD wrong to let him go? Will he do better elsewhere in charge of his team? Let’s look at the facts.

Nistelrooy the striker

Nistelrooy spent 5 years as a striker at Old Trafford, earning the admiration and respect of Manchester fans forever. While his relationship with former boss Sir Alex Fergusson was rocky, and he had some mishaps with Cristiano Ronaldo, Nistelrooy was a powerful striker and stellar player. He scored 150 goals in 219 appearances, earning rank 11 in the team’s list of greats.  

Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, Nistelrooy is second only to Wayne Rooney on Man UTD’s list of top European scorers. His stint as a Red Devil was widely successful and came at the dawn of sports betting online, with bettors and fans known to flock to sportsbooks like Betway to wager on his performance. After Man U, in 2006, he joined Real Madrid, where he stayed for four years.

PSV Head Coach

Nistelrooy’s managerial stint has not been as lucrative as Ruben Amorim’s, but it’s not insignificant either. His first job as manager was with Jong PSV in 2021, which lasted about a year before he was promoted to PSV Eindhoven in 2022.

His time at PSV was also short-lived. One game to the end of the season, Nistelrooy resigned over what he called a “lack of support” from the players and the team. Others blamed his coaching style, although players Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo praised his leadership and cited him as a major influence on their careers. Whatever happened at PSV, Nistelrooy didn’t leave before delivering the KNB Cup and a Champions League qualification for the Netherlands team.

Interim Man UTD Coach

Nistelrooy stepped back onto Old Trafford for the first time since his 2006 exit last summer, hired to assist former coach Erik Ten Hag. Many saw Nistelrooy as the man the INEOS management would rather have led the dugout, and there was news of tension between him and Ten Hag. The players loved him, the officials respected him, and the fans all but sang his praises.

So when Man UTD let go of Ten Hag this year, promoting Nistelrooy to head coach was a no-brainer. Nistelrooy remained team lead for four games, winning three and drawing one match with Chelsea. The fans did sing and chant his name following that final win against Leicester.

Nistelrooy in demand

Nistelrooy left Man UTD almost immediately after that game, with reports indicating new coach Ruben Amorim would be bringing his team with him from Sporting. Analyst Pieter Morel, goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar, and assistant manager Rene Hake also exited the club.

Speculations suggest that Amorim was uncomfortable sharing the spotlight with a living Man U legend, but only he can say whether that is true. Amorim is fiercely loyal to his team and has moved with them several times to new jobs.

Two major teams are already courting Nistelrooy for managerial positions, and some sources speculate he could hear from them officially this week.

What the future looks like

Thus, the question is, can he hack it? There’s never been a doubt that Nistelrooy could make an excellent coach. His player record is legendary, and fans, Betway bettors, and players love him. His suaveness is also unmistakable, something only years of stellar playing can earn.

Nistelrooy, however, is stubborn and set in his ways. We’ll have to wait and see whether the players at Leicester or Hamburg will respond to that and do well.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy: Can He Step Up to a Big Club as a Manager