Premier League
Ruud van Nistelrooy Returns To Manchester United As Erik Ten Hag Assistant
In a bid to revive their former glory, Manchester United has named their ex-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as an assistant to manager Erik ten Hag, aiming to rejuvenate the 20-time English champions.
Rene Hake was also hired in an assistant role to complete an all-Dutch managerial team.
Despite Manchester United’sUnited’s disappointing eighth-place finish in the standings, manager, Erik ten Hag has signed a contract that will see him stay at the Premier club until 2026.
“Now is a good time to refresh the coaching team as we look to build on the achievements of the past two years and push to the next level,” Ten Hag said in a statement.
Van Nistelrooy scored 95 goals in 150 Premier League appearances for United between 2001 and 2006 and is the team’s top Champions League scorer with 35 goals. He netted 35 goals in 70 appearances for the Netherlands.
In the 2022/23 season, Ruud van Nistelrooy led PSV Eindhoven to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie and a victory in the Dutch Cup.
“Together with Erik, we are working to strengthen all areas of our men’s first-team operations, and refreshing the coaching staff is an important part of that,” United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth said.
“It’s a particular pleasure to welcome Ruud back to the club where he enjoyed so much success as a player, and I know that he and Rene will help reinforce the winning mentality and high standards we are aiming for.”
For the last two decades, Hake has managed numerous teams in the Netherlands. Mitchell van der Gaag and Benni McCarthy have departed from the coaching staff at Old Trafford.
United’s Dutch midfielder, Donny van de Beek, has completed a permanent move to Spanish Liga club Girona.
