Ruud van Nistelrooy has yet to discover whether he has a future at Manchester United beyond his current interim role. The iconic Dutchman was appointed caretaker manager following Erik ten Hag’s sacking.
The 48-year-old has overseen a 5-2 win against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup Round of 16 and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. He’s displayed a passion and enthusiasm on the touchline that arguably was missing during the Ten Hag reign.
Van Nistelrooy has also made it clear he wants to stay at United and the most recent update has revealed that a significant number of players want him to remain at the club in some capacity, but he is yet to hold talks with incoming new manager Ruben Amorim – who also wants to bring in his own staff from Sporting Lisbon.
This could mean the Dutch coach leaves Old Trafford once the Portuguese coach’s reign begins on November 11.
If Van Nistelrooy does depart, he likely won’t be short of options to resume his coaching career with a senior first-team. The ex-PSV Eindhoven boss reportedly turned down the Burnley job to become Ten Hag’s assistant in the summer.
Here, we look at five clubs that might consider turning to Van Nistelrooy if he becomes available in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti has come under increasing pressure amid Real Madrid’s surprisingly topsy-turvy run of form, trailing Barcelona in the La Liga title race. Los Blancos are nine points behind the Blaugrana and have suffered shock defeats, including a 1-0 loss to LOSC Lille in the UEFA Champions League.
Spanish outlet SPORT reports that Madrid president Florentino Perez was furious with his side’s catastrophic 4-0 home defeat to Barca in El Clasico. The Spaniard is pushing for Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title-winning coach, Xabi Alonso, to succeed Ancelotti permanently next season.
Van Nistelrooy, a former Real Madrid star, could agree to return to the Santiago Bernabeu and take up another caretaker role for the remainder of the season, should Perez act quickly. Alonso decided to stay at Leverkusen last summer despite advances from Liverpool, so perhaps Van Nistelrooy could even end up being an alternative long-term appointment to the Spaniard as well.
West Ham United
Julen Lopetegui is feeling the heat at the London Stadium amid a disastrous start to his West Ham United reign. The Spaniard succeeded David Moyes in the summer and was heavily backed in the transfer market.
The Hammers have started the season with three wins and five defeats in 10 league games and sit 14th. It’s a concerning time for the Irons as they have regressed from the resilient side that wrestled in mid-table under Moyes and won the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Van Nistelrooy could be an option to replace Lopetegui, as he might be able to galvanise West Ham’s squad amid a glaring lack of confidence. The East London outfit is a similar stature of club as his former employers, PSV, and could be a fine appointment for both parties.
SC Heerenveen
Van Nistelrooy spent much of his youth during his illustrious playing career at SC Heerenveen, where he excelled as the Dutch outfit’s marksman. The Super Frisians are struggling in the Eredivisie, sitting in 14th, two points above the drop zone, with 11 points from as many games.
The current Manchester United interim boss may feel a chance to help Heerenveen avoid relegation is a good step back into permanent first-team management. He could accept a short-term role with his former club before taking on a higher-profile role elsewhere next summer.
However, the plot twist is that ex-Red Devil Robin van Persie is the man he’d be replacing. The Premier League icon took up the role in the summer after turning down the opportunity to join Ten Hag’s coaching staff two years ago.
AS Roma
Speculation is growing over Ivan Juric’s future at AS Roma despite the Croatian coach succeeding Daniele De Rossi just two months ago. I Giallorossi are floundering, sitting 11th in Serie A with three wins and four defeats in 11 games.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is a candidate to replace Juric. If that’s the case, one would expect Van Nistelrooy to also be on the shortlist. The Dutchman arguably has the better resume of the pair, enjoying trophy success when he guided PSV to the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup.
Rangers
Another manager walking the managerial tightrope is Philippe Clement as Rangers stutter in the Scottish Premiership title race. The Gers sit third, trailing Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points, and the Belgian has received major criticism for his tactical decisions.
The Ibrox job is a high-profile one that could entice Van Nistelrooy to follow in Steven Gerrard’s footsteps. The Liverpool legend started his managerial career with the Scottish heavyweights.
Gerrard became a fan favourite by ending Celtic’s 10-year stranglehold on the title. The Dutchman would be tasked with ending the Hoops’ four-year run as champions.