Ruud van Nistelrooy: Leicester appoint former Manchester United interim head coach as Steve Cooper replacement

Ruud van Nistelrooy went unbeaten during a four-game spell as interim head coach of Manchester United; Leicester sacked manager Steve Cooper on Sunday after just five months in charge; Foxes are on a five-game winless run and sit 16th in Premier League, one point above the relegation zone

Friday 29 November 2024 22:31, UK

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed Leicester City's new manager.

Van Nistelrooy, who briefly took interim charge of Manchester United earlier this season, replaces Steve Cooper and has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the King Power Stadium.

Ben Dawson will continue in caretaker charge of the Foxes at Brentford on Saturday with Van Nistelrooy in the stands at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Dutchman's first game in charge will be on Tuesday against West Ham at home.

Van Nistelrooy revealed he phoned former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca before taking the job.

Speaking to LCFC.com, he said: "I have to say, when the interest came, the first one I called was Enzo. He was so positive about it. He absolutely loved his time. When you hear these things, it's a club you want to be a part of.

"Obviously, with the interest coming, I phoned him and I asked him more detailed questions about the club, the structures, the people that work there, the squad, the stadium, the fans, the town, the surroundings… it was a fantastic conversation. It's always a pleasure to talk to him."

He added: "The way Leicester City played under [Enzo] Maresca, winning the Championship and going into the Premier League, I see also that line continuing in those structures and the idea of playing.

"I can plug into that. I relate to those structures and way of playing. Playing out from the back when we can, going forward in the attack and playing forward, and creating chances is, of course, the main goal when the opponent allows you to. Obviously, you have to see how the defensive structures are. I can plug in there and take some new ideas, but a good framework is there, and then it's about getting better… going to the training pitch and improving altogether and translating it into points.

"Sometimes it will be against an opponent that is better, but you have to find a way to win any game. Sometimes you need to be more defensive and play on the counter-attack. Of course, when you have it, you play, and in other [games], you try to dominate and make the game yourself. We'll approach every game with one idea - and that's to win."

Van Nistelrooy had been exploring opportunities to become a No 1 and Sky Sports News understands he had several offers from other European clubs.

Leicester had considered the former Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg boss Niko Kovac and the current West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan as possible candidates but decided on Van Nistelrooy as they look to climb away from the relegation zone.

The decision has been taken by club owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha - known as 'Top' - who took personal responsibility for the appointment, with director of football Jon Rudkin preparing a list of candidates.

Srivaddhanaprabha told LCFC.com: "It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City. He joins a club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together.

"Ruud's experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club."

Van Nistelrooy was appointed as assistant manager at Manchester United in the summer having been out of work since quitting as PSV Eindhoven boss before the end of the 2022/23 season.

The 48-year-old became interim head coach when Erik ten Hag was sacked in October and signed off in style by beating Leicester 3-0 at Old Trafford to stay unbeaten in his four games in charge before the club confirmed his departure following Ruben Amorim's arrival.

Did Van Nistlerooy's brief showing at Man Utd tempt Leicester?

Former Leicester City striker Alan Smith:

"There was a temporary manager bounce at Man Utd under Van Nistlerooy and after Erik ten Hag.

"He clearly enjoyed it. He's very well-presented and speaks well. He'll represent the club well and bring more profile to the club, which is something the owners are thinking about too.

"He's got presence and won the lot as a player. But at the end of the day, it's about staying in the division for Leicester and that's his biggest challenge.

"However, all that reputation can go out the window very quickly if results don't come quickly.

"You do feel he needs to make a change quite quickly and pick up some result in order to win everyone over quickly.

"It's maybe a big ask for him. He's managed PSV, a team in Holland that are used to winning matches and being at the top of the table.

"This is a different story, in terms of scrapping at the bottom of the table, squeezing out points and scoring some more goals. It's a new experience for him and one he'll have to get used to."

Van Nistelrooy the coach: 'Attacking football in his DNA'

In an interview with Sky Sports' Adam Bate earlier this year, Van Nistelrooy's former PSV assistant Javier Rabanal gave an insight into his footballing philosophy.

"He can deal with certain situations and manage them in the right way. He is someone who can manipulate the training sessions, knowing when to push the group a bit more and when to push them less," said Rabanal.

"I have met a lot of ex-pros. The typical ex-pro coaches, they try to reproduce what they were taught. Some of them do not bring anything new and they do not keep learning.

"But the top ones are open-minded people who learn new things. Whether it is technology or methodology, they are open to it - and Ruud is this kind of coach.

"Ruud is particularly good with young, talented players. He was important in the development of Xavi Simons at PSV, leading him in the right way.

"When I worked with him, he always had ideas about how to attack and that is something that I am sure he will bring to the team. Attacking football is in his DNA and there will be a good game plan of how to score goals."

Why did Leicester sack Cooper?

Analysis by Sky Sports News' Danyal Khan and Lyall Thomas:

"Despite sitting 16th, with 10 points from 12 games, the club believe taking this decision gives them the best chance of staying in the Premier League.

"There is a feeling in the club's hierarchy that they could be higher than they are; they've failed to beat Ipswich and Everton, with performances also increasingly a concern.

"It is clear Cooper had been trying to implement the style he wanted and make the changes he believed were necessary to improve things - but there was understood to be resistance from, and a disconnect with, the players.

"This is said to have increased concerns internally over Premier League safety, while it was also evident there has was a lack of connection between Cooper and the fans since he took charge in the summer.

"After promotion, Leicester spent less in the summer transfer market than the other two promoted teams and lost a key player in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea.

"Their highest spend was around £20m on Oliver Skipp, while they brought in Bobby Decordova-Reid on a free transfer and two players on loan from other Premier League clubs.

"The club have acted swiftly in comparison to the 2022/23 season, in which they parted ways with Brendan Rodgers as late as April and replaced him with Dean Smith, before ultimately being relegated."

Leicester's upcoming Premier League fixtures

Brentford (A) - Saturday, kick-off 3pm
West Ham (H) - December 3, kick-off 8.15pm
Brighton (H) - December 8, kick-off 2pm
Newcastle (A) - December 14, kick-off 3pm
Wolves (H) - December 22, kick-off 2pm

Around Sky

Get Sky Sports

Upgrade to Sky Sports or stream with NOW

Tis the season to watch movies, and from festive favourites to the latest blockbusters, Sky Cinema has everything you need to make your Christmas. And don’t forget you also get two free Vue tickets every month.

Get Sky Cinema