Under the scorching sun of Southern California, Ruud van Nistelrooy is at the helm of training drills at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The following day, Manchester United will suffer a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. However, on this sun-drenched afternoon, the newly appointed assistant manager is orchestrating rapid attack-versus-defence exercises, each lasting fewer than two minutes, on a compact pitch designed to refine players’ touch and speed.
In the shaded bleachers observing him are Dan Ashworth, United’s sporting director, his technical director Jason Wilcox, and Sir Dave Brailsford, who oversees operations for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the minority shareholder and Ineos owner managing football operations.
All are witnesses to what the Guardian has learned: Van Nistelrooy possesses a strong presence, is vocal, and the prolific scorer of 150 goals in 219 appearances for United seems just as capable at coaching defenders as he is at mentoring finishers, refusing to be pigeonholed as merely a forwards specialist.
During his five-year tenure at United, which began with his debut on August 12, 2001—where he scored in a 2-1 Charity Shield loss to Liverpool—Van Nistelrooy constantly troubled opposing defenses, as illustrated by his impressive goal-scoring average of one goal every 1.46 games.
Now, back at the club where he secured a Premier League title, an FA Cup, and a League Cup, the 48-year-old plays a crucial role in the Ratcliffe-led transformation, even though he was brought in by Erik ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy encountered formidable domestic and Champions League defenses—most notably at Real Madrid—as well as at United, where his 35 Champions League goals remain a club record. His composure is evident when asked about his former role as PSV manager and whether joining Steve McClaren, René Hake, and Andreas Georgson—as a group of four former head coaches—could create tension for Ten Hag.
“A positive aspect, and not a problem in my perspective,” Van Nistelrooy answers confidently.
Tom Heaton, currently in his second spell at United after joining as a trainee goalkeeper in 2002 while Van Nistelrooy was in his prime, shares his thoughts: “Ruud and I spent some time together back then; I was always the go-to keeper for his shooting practice. He has been fantastic, with his attention to detail being exceptional. You might think he’s just a legend here as a figurehead, but his thoroughness—and I’ve sat in some meetings with him—is outstanding.”
During their time together, Heaton did not envision Van Nistelrooy as a future manager. “Not really—I mentioned this in a conversation a couple of days ago,” says the 38-year-old. “He mentioned that he never really thought of himself as a coach or manager. However, during his final year as a player at Málaga [in 2011-12], while working with [Manuel] Pellegrini, he realized Pellegrini noticed that though his legs weren’t gone, he was nearing the end of his playing career.
“Pellegrini would ask him to assist young players and work through some drills. He expressed how much he enjoyed it. He has also been very effective defensively because he grasps that aspect of the game too. I think he’ll be significant in that regard. I must say, I’ve played with many players, and he’s my favorite finisher ever—the best I have ever seen. He was phenomenal.”
With United’s lackluster 57 league goals last season, where a total of 26 were scored by the forwards including Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Højlund, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo, Van Nistelrooy’s finishing skills will undoubtedly be an asset.
after newsletter promotion
Heaton is confident that Van Nistelrooy can turn a non-natural finisher into a goal-scoring machine. “Absolutely—I would say that’s likely a primary reason for his presence here,” he states. “If he shares his insights on how he achieved his success and some of his drills, I’m sure there would be some transfer of knowledge. Whatever methods he employed, they were effective.”
Jonny Evans, also back at the club, shares similar sentiments and recalls his experiences with Van Nistelrooy during his time as a player. “Having Ruud return has been fantastic, especially for me. I grew up idolizing him and how he played. As a youth team player, I had a slight chance to observe him, and towards the end of his United career, I trained with him a few times while he was recovering from injuries. It’s beneficial to have someone of his caliber and respect in the squad.”
Evans humorously remarks when asked about Van Nistelrooy’s potential benefit for United’s defenders: “I’ll be coaching strikers when I’m older,” he comments. “Ruud mentioned that after leaving United, he spent time in Spain, under Pellegrini and truly dedicated defensive coaches.
“He learned a great deal and saw the importance of defensive structure. As a striker, I’m sure that was always of great interest to him in terms of where he could find goal-scoring opportunities.”
