Leicester hires Van Nistelrooy as manager after his impressive interim spell at Man United

Leicester appoints Ruud van Nistelrooy as manager after successful interim spell at Manchester United, aiming for Premier League success.

Leicester hired Ruud van Nistelrooy as its manager on Friday (November 29, 2024) following his impressive spell as interim coach at former club Manchester United that included two wins over his new team.

The 48-year-old Van Nistelrooy joined on a deal until June 2027 and will take over a team in fifth-to-last place in the English Premier League after promotion last season.

Van Nistelrooy, a former Netherlands striker who played club football for Man United and Real Madrid, joined United’s coaching staff in July as an assistant to compatriot Erik ten Hag. After Ten Hag was fired last month, Van Nistelrooy took charge on an interim basis and had three wins and a draw in his four games at the helm before Ruben Amorim was hired as Ten Hag’s full-time replacement.

Among those victories was a 5-2 thrashing of a weakened Leicester team in the English League Cup and a 3-0 win over the Foxes in the Premier League.

“I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester is enthusiastic," Van Nistelrooy said.

This will be Van Nistelrooy’s second senior full-time managerial role, having led PSV Eindhoven for almost a season and winning the Dutch Cup before quitting near the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

“Ruud’s experience, knowledge and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us,” Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said, "and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club.”