He is already looking forward to waving to the Stretford Stand on Friday night. Ruud van Nistelrooy returns to Old Trafford.
During his five seasons as a Manchester United player at the turn of the decade, this once posed a danger to opposition defences. Fans are now wondering what it will mean for the club when he returns as part of Erik ten Hag’s new coaching staff.
Despite scoring 150 goals, Ruud van Nistelrooy was at one time one of the last favorites to fill the role. His departure in 2006 was controversial and the relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson fell apart.
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For much of his playing career, he was known for his single-mindedness, but that didn’t necessarily translate into his coaching career. Gary Neville even admitted to questioning whether, for all the goals scored, his style was conducive to United’s demands at the time.
Rio Ferdinand told the story of returning to the Manchester United dressing room after a win and seeing Ruud van Nistelrooy looking pained after discovering that his long-time rival for the Golden Boot Thierry Henry had also scored that afternoon expression.
Although Ruud van Nistelrooy remains focused on his goal, he is a different animal now. Spaniard Javier Rabanal, who was his assistant at PSV when he guided the club to two trophies, believes he is not only a great player but also an impressive player coach.
“We have a very good relationship,” Rabbanaal said sky sports. “He was a very humble man, easy to work with and I learned a lot from him. In fact, he completely changed my perspective on professional football in some ways.”
He explained: “When it comes to tactical knowledge of the game, most of football’s top coaches are at a similar level of understanding. What sets Vanney apart is his passion and his ability to communicate to the team how he feels about football.”
“He was a person who could connect with people. It didn’t matter whether it was a young player taking his first steps or a player entering his final years. I remember the enthusiasm with which he spoke before big games, For example, he was different in the cup final we won against Ajax.
Javier Rabanal during his time with Van Nistelrooy at PSV
It would be easy to see Ruud van Nistelrooy as a figurehead, and given his popularity among supporters, his appointment would have been an easy win. But Tom Heaton has spoken of the outstanding qualities of his initial sessions and the details of his analytical work.
As Rabbanaar points out, this is the mission of the now bespectacled Ruud van Nistelrooy. “You have to have that passion because after his playing career, his life is already set. If he’s doing this job, it’s because he loves coaching,” he said.
“This is not your typical ex-pro who is still reminiscing about his career. He is really focused on his coaching career. He loves to attend training sessions. Probably too many! He wants to be involved in every training session and he can’t leave the field.
“He wants to be in contact with the players every day on the pitch, in every training. For me, that’s an advantage because he combines the characteristics of a former player and a professional coach. He has two perspectives. That makes He becomes a different person.
Ruud van Nistelrooy began to change towards the end of his career. Four years after leaving United, he called Ferguson to apologize for his attitude. In his final seasons, he embraced his role as a mentor to forwards he once considered rivals.
Son Heung-min is arguably the best finisher in the Premier League and he is a teammate of Hamburger SV. Ruud van Nistelrooy backed him up. “He helped me a lot. He watched my first training and talked to me. He gave me confidence and I want to thank him.”
It was at Málaga that he really started thinking about how to influence the people around him and started thinking about a coaching career. Salomon Rondon hailed Van Nistelrooy as “a great role model” and Juanmi, then 19, went on to play for Spain.
As PSV coach, he helped develop Cody Gakpo. Speaking to Noni Marduk, another young protégé of Van Nistelrooy, he was clearly impressed by the aura. “Everyone has a lot of respect for what he does in the game,” he told us sky sports.
“The players will definitely love him because he is such a good player. I think as a coach, tactically he has great ideas as well. He is a legend in the game so it is an honor to work with him. He helps me with my offense really well and he’s still a great finisher.
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Watch a selection of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s best goals for Manchester United
Watch the video of Ruud van Nistelrooy in his prime and his finishing ability is still amazing. A master of the box, it’s worth noting that there are plenty of goals that look simple but only because his first touch of the ball gets him out of trouble. The second found the net.
Surely United’s forwards could learn from this? “I have no doubt,” the Ten Witches told sky sports recent. “He has scored so many goals, so he will definitely help the forwards in different aspects, especially mentally, bringing his desire to win and score goals.”
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Erik ten Hag believes Ruud van Nistelrooy will be a huge benefit to forwards
There is a story that Marcus Rashford once became unhappy with Steve McLaren for trying to cajole him during a five-a-side training game. McClaren told him he was the one who could score goals but the player urged him not to put so much pressure on him.
McClaren, who worked with forwards such as Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole as well as Aaron Boksic and Mark Viduka during his first spell at the club, is known to be dismayed by the reaction Shocked, it was expected that his humorous remarks would spark interest.
Perhaps Van Nistelrooy will find a more receptive audience. Many spotted him leaving his seat to encourage Rashford after his near miss in the Community Shield at Wembley. But Rabbanall is keen to stress that this is more than just a forwards coach.
It’s not just a reflection of the number of goals he’s scored in his career, but also his ability to deliver them.
“I suspect that Erik ten Hag took over from the former PSV coach just to work with the strikers. He can bring more to every player in every position. But, of course, we had two The second session and afternoon session will be focused on finishing.
“It’s not just the number of goals he’s scored in his career, it’s his ability to deliver the way he scores, that feeling in the 18-yard box, how to attack, how to take a step away from the center – behind, how to find that space. , how to prepare the shape of the legs for the shoot.
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Watch Ruud van Nistelrooy lead attack training at Manchester United
Ruud van Nistelrooy and his side lost to Arne Slott’s Feyenoord in PSV, but they did pick up four points from their two meetings. Rabbanaal believes they sowed the seeds for his successor to overhaul Slaughter’s side last time out.
“They’ve had a fantastic season with Peter Bosz and he deserves credit. But I believe we’ve changed the mentality a little bit. Peter’s not starting from scratch. We’ve done a lot of work there to get the players in the right shape. .
Rene Hake and Andreas Georgson were also among Europe’s top coaches last season and Ten Hake has assembled an impressive group of managers to back him up. “These coaches will help,” Rabbanaal said.
“They can bring a lot to help Manchester United get back to the top, top, top level they want to be, fighting for the title.” The legendary forward has reinvented himself as a thoughtful coach eager to bring changes to the team.
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