Manchester United have now confirmed that club legend turned coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has left Old Trafford following the arrival of new head manager Rúben Amorim.
van Nistelrooy was placed in charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis following the sacking of Erik ten Hag last month and it was left unclear as to whether he would stay at the Theatre of Dreams once the former Sporting CP boss was appointed.
Having flown in from Portugal for his first day on the job, Amorim has already been filmed taking a tour around Carrington and not long after the first images of him in Manchester were shared online, the club made their announcement.
Following early reports by The Athletic‘s Laurie Whitwell, Man United have now detailed that the 48-year-old and three other Dutch first-team coaches brought in during ten Hag’s tenure have now officially departed as they prepare for yet another backroom rebuild.
Ruud van Nistelrooy and three first-team coaches have departed the club with our best wishes for the future.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 11, 2024
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to United ❤️#MUFC
Writing in an official statement on Monday, 11 November, the club said: “Manchester United can confirm that Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club. Ruud rejoined in the summer and has taken charge of the team for the past four matches as interim head coach. Ruud is, and always will be, a Man United legend.
“We are grateful for his contribution and the way in which he has approached his role throughout his time with the club. He will always be very welcome at Old Trafford.
“Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel have also departed and we wish them all well for the future. We will confirm the full men’s first team coaching composition in due course.”
As for the man himself, Ruud already bid goodbye to the club, thanking the fans for making it a special return, calling it a “great honour”.
He was only the temporary gaffer for a very short spell but managed to notch 5-2 and 3-0 wins over Leicester in the EFL Cup and Premier League, grab the Reds first win in the Europa League this season and earn them four points in the table.
The retired striker had already made a promising start to life as a full-time first-team manager at PSV before returning to United and only left due to disagreements with the administration, so it’s fair to say the chances of him lining up a new role are pretty likely.
Meanwhile, Amorim has already made it clear that he arrives at United with a plan and “structure” in mind – the suggestion being that he will implement his trusted 3-4-3 formation – but is remaining otherwise tight-lipped.
As reiterated by the club, it’s still uncertain whether any of his coaching staff at Sporting will be joining him or, indeed, if he will be trying to recruit any of his now-ex players come the January transfer window.
One thing is for sure though: he has a lot of work to do.
🗣️ Ruben Amorim here on his plans to hit the ground running at Manchester United + conversation with Ruud van Nistelrooy tomorrow about his future at #MUFC
— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) November 10, 2024
(question by @lauriewhitwell via @abolapt) pic.twitter.com/8jlWQY7jrV
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Featured Images — Manchester United (via X)/Agencia LUSA (via Wikimedia Commons)