Ruud van Nistelrooy's coaching career and style of play as Man Utd return nears (2024)

Ruud van Nistelrooy was an extremely successful player for Manchester United, scoring 150 goals in 219 games. It is now being reported that he is in talks to return to the club in a coaching role as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his backroom staff ahead of the 2024/25 season. The former Dutch striker last managed PSV Eindhoven from March 2022 to May 2023. During this time, he won the Johan Cruyff Shield and the KNVB Cup before resigning from the role with one game left in the Eredivisie season.

Burnley are also keen on Van Nistelrooy as they look to appoint someone as their new manager in the Championship. The ex-PSV head coach is one of several potential candidates to take over at the Clarets. Here is everything you need to know about Van Nistelrooy's coaching career so far, ahead of his rumoured return to England.

Coaching Career

Van Nistelrooy retired from football in May 2012 at the age of 35. Malaga was his last club, and shortly after his retirement, he looked to pursue a career in coaching. His first role involved working for the PSV Eindhoven under-17s as an intern in the 2013/14 season. In March 2014, Guus Hiddink added Van Nistelrooy and Danny Blind to his coaching staff after the 2014 World Cup. Upon his return as the coach of the national team, Hiddink said:

The former United striker returned to PSV in February 2016 as a striker coach for the youth teams. Most notably, he helped out the under-17s, 19s, and the reserve team. In June 2018, Van Nistelrooy was appointed manager of the PSV under-19s, his most senior coaching role so far. He replaced the outgoing Mark van Bommel, who was promoted to the first team. The young manager then joined the Netherlands coaching set-up again in December 2019, ahead of Euro 2020. This was a role he performed in addition to his managerial position at PSV. Van Nistelrooy also managed Jong PSV, the club's reserve side, in the summer of 2021, where they played in the Dutch Championship against senior teams.

Following Roger Schmidt's departure as PSV head coach in March 2022, van Nistelrooy signed a three-year contract to replace him. This was his first senior coaching role as a manager or a head coach. His first triumph was the 2022/23 KNVB Cup, where he beat Ajax on penalties in the final. As well as this, he defeated Feyenoord in August 2023 to secure the Johan Cruyff Shield. Van Nistelrooy also led PSV to second place in the 2022/23 Eredivisie campaign but left his role as head coach with one game to go due to "insufficient support within the club".

Tactical Approach

Van Nistelrooy has consistently cited his time at United under Sir Alex Ferguson as having a huge impact on his coaching philosophies. Speaking to the Coaches Voice in June 2016, the former striker said:

What was noticeable about Van Nistelrooy's time at PSV was his adaptability in terms of formations. He often switched between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 throughout the 2022/23 campaign and even switched to a 4-4-2 mid-block on occasions, especially in big games against the likes of Feyenoord and Ajax. Managing Jong PSV in the Dutch Championship was an extremely important step in Van Nistelrooy's coaching development, as he had to find ways to win against stronger, more experienced teams. This is because he was in charge of a reserve team made up of 18 and 19-year-olds playing against second-tier Dutch sides. In the same long-read with the Coaches Voice, he said:

Van Nistelrooy's promotion to head coach at PSV saw him able to stamp his tactical authority. In possession, the former Dutch striker favours a 3-4-2-1 shape, with one of the full-backs getting high and wide to create overloads, with the other staying back and coming inside to form a back three with the two central defenders. As well as this, he prefers short distances between his players when they have the ball because he believes in the importance of control and possession instead of more direct attacking. Defensively, Van Nistelrooy prioritises compactness and minimising the spaces in central areas to force his opponents out wide. As a result, he often opts for dominant central defenders who can deal with crosses from wide areas.

Burnley Interest

Andy Jones of The Athletic reported on Thursday, 20th June that Burnley were holding talks with Van Nistelrooy, as he is considered one of their primary targets ahead of the 2024/25 Championship season. The Lancashire club were relegated from the Premier League last year under the management of Vincent Kompany and look to be interested in appointing a coach in the same mould with prestigious playing experience like Van Nistelrooy. Other candidates for the job include recently-sacked Hull City head coach Liam Rosenior, West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan, and Frank Lampard.

On 27th June, David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror reported that Van Nistelrooy had turned down the Burnley job in favour of joining the coaching staff at United. He said:

Van Nistelrooy's Old Trafford Return

On 24th June, Fabrizio Romano reported that Van Nistelrooy is "very tempted" to join United's coaching staff ahead of next season. He now looks set to join the club as an assistant coach, rejecting an approach from Burnley to become their new manager in favour of returning to the club he played for between 2001 and 2006.

Bringing in Van Nistelrooy is part of United's backroom staff reshuffle in an attempt to improve on last season's below-par performances, particularly in the Premier League. Ten Hag's two main assistants are currently Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag. Benni McCarthy is also part of the coaching set-up, but his contract expires at the end of June. It is unclear whether he will be offered a new contract, especially with the imminent arrival of Van Nistelrooy. Ten Hag is likely to sign a new contract with only a year left on his deal, along with a 12-month extension option. Adding in the kind of experience and connection Van Nistelrooy has at Old Trafford would be a significant boost to Ten Hag, both in terms of aiding his own popularity with the fans and players, but also giving him a well-respected voice to help him through a match-week.

Information gathered from Transfermarkt. Correct as of 27-06-24.