Have a look at the coaching style, tactics and manager record of Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy is a former Red Devil and assistant manager under Erik Ten Hag, who is now all set to step in as the interim manager for Manchester United.
The new appointment comes after the club announced on Monday their decision to sack outgoing manager Erik Ten Hag.
Who is Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and more about his coaching style, tactics and record
While there are rumours of several candidates in line to take up the new job, van Nistelrooy is set to take the reins for now.
Ruud van Nistelrooy bio
Ruud van Nistelrooy, full name Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij, is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He was born on July 1, 1976, in Oss, Netherlands, and ahs two siblings, a brother and a sister. Prior to becoming a coach, van Nistelrooy was a successful player for Manchester United. He mainly played as a forward, and during his time at the club, he scored 150 goals in 219 games.
After his retirement, the former Dutch striker managed PSV Eindhoven from March 2022 to May 2023. During his time there, he won the Johan Cruyff Shield as well as the KNVB Cup before eventually resigning. Van Nistelrooy then made a return to Old Trafford as an assistant manager under Erik ten Hag ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Age and height
Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently 48 years old and stands at a height of 1.88 metres.
Wife and kids
Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently married to his wife Leontien Slaats since 2004, and the couple share two children together, Liam Van Nistelrooy, and Moa Annette Van Nistelrooy.
Coaching Career
Ruud van Nistelrooy officially retired from professional football in May 2012, aged 35. He last played for Malaga pursued a coaching career shortly after his retirement. He first took up the role of an intern for the PSV Eindhoven under-17s during the 2013/14 season. Back in March 2014, Van Nistelrooy joined Guus Hiddink’s coaching staff for the 2014 World Cup.
He then returned to PSV in February 2016 as a striker coach for the youth teams and the reserve team. The following year, in June 2018, PSV appointed Van Nistelrooy as their under-19s manager. He then joined the Netherlands coaching staff again in December 2019, just ahead of Euro 2020. Van Nistelrooy then got the chance to manage Jong PSV, the club’s reserve side, in 2021.
After Roger Schmidt’s departed from PSV, the club signed van Nistelrooy as their new head coach in March 2022. He led the side to a triumphant 2022/23 KNVB Cup win as well as the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2023. Under Van Nistelrooy, PSV also finished second in the 2022/23 Eredivisie campaign. After rejecting an offer from Burnley, Van Nistelrooy moved back to Manchester United in July 2024. He joined the club as assistant manager under Ten Hag, with a contract set until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Following his appointment, Van Nistelrooy took charge of overseeing team training sessions at Carrington, alongside his former Red Devils star Darren Fletcher and former colleague at PSV Eindhoven, Rene Hake. Ruud Van Nistelrooy will now step in as the new interim manager in place of Erik Ten Hag.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy managerial stats
Given below are Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s managerial stats so far:
| Club | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points Per Game |
| PSV U19 | 51 | 26 | 13 | 12 | 1.78 |
| PSV U18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| PSV U21 | 37 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 1.16 |
| PSV First Team | 50 | 34 | 8 | 8 | 2.20 |
Tactical approach and coaching style
Ruud van Nistelrooy has often stated how his time at United under Sir Alex Ferguson has shaped his coaching philosophies. During his time at PSV, he showcased his adaptability in applying varied formations. The young manager often switched between a 4-3-3 formation, and a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the 2022/23 campaign. He even switched to a 4-4-2 mid-block formation on several occasions, especially in big games against larger teams.
While in possession, the former Dutch striker usually tends to favour a 3-4-2-1 shape. When using this formation, he tends to keep one of the full-backs high and wide to create overloads, while making the other stay back and come inside to form a back three alongside the two central defenders. Ruud Van Nistelrooy also prefers short distances between his players when in possession as opposed to direct attacking strategies.
While in a defensive formation, van Nistelrooy opts for compactness and minimising the spaces in the central areas. This forces his opponents to play out wide and as a result, he often opts for more physically dominant central defenders who can deal with crosses from the wide areas.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has an Instagram account with the handle @rvnistelrooij, where he has over 949K followers, and 295 posts.