Ruud van Nistelrooy gives his first sit down interview as new Leicester manager

Ruud van Nistelrooy gives his first sit down interview as new Leicester manager, just two weeks after leaving Man Utd.

He becomes Leicester’s fourth manager in 19 months, coming in to replace Steve Cooper, who was sacked last weekend after just 12 Premier League matches in charge.

Leicester currently sit 16th in the table with 10 points form those 12 games played, just a point above the drop zone, and get set to face Brentford this weekend.

We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy as our new First Team Manager 🦊

— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 29, 2024

To 2027 ✊

Goodnight, Blue Army 💙 pic.twitter.com/2laMO7syqj

— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 29, 2024

CLUB STATEMENT:

We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy as Leicester City’s new First Team Manager.

The 48-year-old Dutchman joins us with a wealth of experience at the highest level of the game, both as a player and a coach, and has agreed terms on a contract to June 2027.

Ruud will arrive in the UK in time to be in attendance for our Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday, before assuming full First Team responsibilities from Sunday.

City will be led at the Gtech Community Stadium by First Team Coach Ben Dawson, supported by coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes. Regarded as one of the Premier League’s best-ever strikers as a player, the former Netherlands international has since built a growing reputation as a talented manager and coach with the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and the Dutch national team.

Leicester City Chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, said: “It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City. He joins a Club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together. Ruud’s experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our Club.”

Speaking to LCFC.com, van Nistelrooy added: “I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic. They have great stories about the quality of the people working at the Club, the supporters and, of course, the recent history of the Club is impressive. I’m excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the Football Club.”
Our new manager enjoyed a highly decorated and illustrious playing career, featuring for the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. He scored 349 goals at club level as well as a further 35 goals in 70 appearances for the Netherlands on the international stage.

A prolific striker, he was renowned for his sharp instincts, technical skill and leadership on and off the pitch. These are qualities that he has carried into his managerial career, having most recently served as Interim Manager at Manchester United, where he oversaw three victories and a draw earlier this season after being appointed assistant to Erik Ten Haag in the summer.

Ruud has also spent time as Head Coach of PSV Eindhoven, where he enjoyed success as a player. Ruud took charge of the team in the summer of 2022 and quickly guided them to silverware in the form of the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield.

His impressive coaching and managerial education at PSV began in 2013, with his time at the Club also seeing him take charge of PSV Under-19s for three seasons, as well as spending a year managing Jong PSV at professional level in the Dutch second tier.

Van Nistelrooy’s coaching career has also seen him gain valuable experience as Assistant Coach for the Netherlands national team under Guus Hiddink, while as a player, he has worked under the management of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Robson and Fabio Capello.

He will take charge of the Foxes for the first time on Tuesday, when West Ham United visit King Power Stadium in the Premier League.

Walking with Ruud 💬 pic.twitter.com/EHt9WxQuqi

— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 29, 2024

Ruud van Nistelrooy is ready to embrace the ‘big responsibility’ of becoming Leicester City’s new Manager – outlining how establishing strong bonds with everyone associated with the Club is among his early ambitions.

The legendary former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Netherlands striker has agreed to join the Foxes, after briefly taking caretaker charge at Old Trafford earlier this season. Heavily associated with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven as well, van Nistelrooy lifted two major trophies at his local club during a managerial stint earlier this decade, building his coaching acumen after a glittering playing career.

Now the man entrusted to help City settle back in the Premier League, the Club’s history – one of a select few to have won every major honour in English football – is something which excites the 48-year-old. Naturally, the focus will be on the here and now, and van Nistelrooy has been impressed by his analysis of the squad before accepting the role, also pointing to the structures which exist at King Power Stadium.

“I’m proud, I’m excited,” he said, speaking from his home in Eindhoven this week. “Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic, has great stories about the quality of the people working at the Club, the supporters, also of course, the recent history of the Club is impressive. I’m dead excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the Football Club.
Ruud van Nistelrooy

“It’s also something I hear a lot about. I can’t wait to find that out, to be part of the Club, in a manager role, which is a big responsibility. I take it very seriously. Also, getting to know everybody, the community and the supporters, I can only imagine what it means to them. I want to feel it. I want to get started and get to know everybody and take time to invest in the relationship with all the other departments and community of the Football Club. That can make us a really strong movement to go forward and get results.

“Of course, when you’re in football a long time, you know so many people and that’s why I said about the stories about the Club and its people and its supporters. That’s always positive. It’s a stable club, you can see within the leadership structures that it’s all good and organised and with an idea. Also, the squad, of course, is exciting with young emerging talents, also experienced players… a good mixture. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and start with them.”

Van Nistelrooy was on the winning side over Leicester twice during his unbeaten four-game spell in charge of Man Utd this autumn. That allowed him to assess the squad as part of the Red Devils’ match preparation – and he saw a lot to be enthused about. He believes he can ‘plug in’ to the Club’s culture easily based on that research.

“I think the depth of the squad is very good as well,” he added. “There are two players in every position of good quality. There’s young, emerging talents, with very experienced players and, obviously, the captain, Jamie Vardy, has the most experience and the character. He’s the face of the Football Club. As a former striker, I can’t wait to work together with him as well.

“Preparing those two games against Leicester, that’s where you get to study the opponent, and their qualities – and also where you can hurt them. Of course, that gave a broader picture of the squad and the team, and the behaviours of the players. After that, the interest was shown, and I started to look even further into the games and looking to improve. Where can we improve and where do we have to improve to stabilise, to start growing, to start collecting more points? That’s what I did, and I trust the squad that we can manage that.

“A lot of principles and structures that I see, on the ball and off the ball, are structures that I use a lot myself as the PSV manager and at United. Not all of them, of course, but many of them. The way Leicester City played under [Enzo] Maresca, winning the Championship and going into the Premier League, I see also that line continuing in those structures and the idea of playing.

“I can plug into that. I relate to those structures and way of playing. Playing out from the back when we can, going forward in the attack and playing forward, and creating chances is, of course, the main goal when the opponent allows you to. Obviously, you have to see how the defensive structures are. I can plug in there and take some new ideas, but a good framework is there, and then it’s about getting better… going to the training pitch and improving altogether and translating it into points.

“Sometimes it will be against an opponent that is better, but you have to find a way to win any game. Sometimes you need to be more defensive and play on the counter-attack. Of course, when you have it, you play, and in other [games], you try to dominate and make the game yourself. We’ll approach every game with one idea – and that’s to win.”

Ex-City Manager Enzo Maresca, now at Chelsea, is a figure who van Nistelrooy consulted during his deliberations, once the interest became apparent. A glowing endorsement of the Club from the Italian helped inform his decision.

He explained: “I have to say, when the interest came, the first one I called was Enzo. He was so positive about it. He absolutely loved his time. When you hear these things, it’s a club you want to be a part of. Obviously, with the interest coming, I phoned him and I asked him more detailed questions about the Club, the structures, the people that work there, the squad, the stadium, the fans, the town, the surroundings… it was a fantastic conversation. It’s always a pleasure to talk to him.”

While First Team Coach Ben Dawson will oversee Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brentford, van Nistelrooy will take his seat in the dugout first for a double-header of home matches next week. West Ham United visit the East Midlands on Tuesday, before a Sunday encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion. Being ready to embrace a new challenge, and bringing the fans along too, is at the forefront of his mind.

“I’m looking forward to that,” the new Foxes boss said. “The preparation will be short for the West Ham game, but we’ll get to know each other and get our focus on the West Ham game at home. It’s a new start and something to look forward to. When the connection is made at King Power Stadium, then we’ll know what can happen there. You start to play with 11 and then you go to 12, you get the extra bit there, and it’s something which is vital in this period for the Football Club.”

Twitter users reacted as Ruud van Nistelrooy gives his first sit down interview as new Leicester manager…

@rudfoxes0205: I definitely expect the LCFC players to up their game & performance against Brentford today with RVN in the stands. Fresh start again for all the players. Brentford have not beaten LCFC since 1953, I would take a point today to be fair as Brentford are flying at home #LCFC @LCFC

@jayjay_allen: Tough gig today you’d imagine. An ‘umph’ to the performance, you’d hope. A point you’d absolutely take. Be interesting to see the mentality with RvN in the stands. Spotlight on the players now… #lcfc 🦊

@ThrobertLCFC: The aura, the knowledge, the skill. This beautiful bastard is going to make Leicester City great again! My gaffa @RvN1776 #lcfc

@SweeneySean_: Looking forward RVN being in charge. I think the majority of the fan base is happy & will get behind him. Disappointed it took so long, even just a day with him today at the training ground, New manager bounce tomorrow vs Brentford. Then at home to West Ham Tuesday #LCFC 🦊🏆

@haglobalmd: I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a new manager becoming a 🦊.

@lcfc_b: Anyone worried about Brentford’s home record, it’s good but look at the teams they’ve played. All in the bottom 15 of the prem at home. We have every chance to go and win this game. #LCFC

@hursty16: Expecting ‘a bit of umph’ from the players tomorrow hoping to impress the new boss. Don’t think Ruud will accept performances like we’ve seen in recent weeks and he comes over as someone the players will not want to get on the wrong side of!! We will see. #lcfc 💙🦊

@NewYorkFoxes: You have your work cut out for you, @RvN1776, but we can’t wait to see what you can do with our squad and how you can bring the excitement back to Leicester City. Good luck, Ruud, we’re already buzzing! #lcfc #usfoxes

@LcfcLoch: First time in a long time ive started feeling that buzz and excitement, gotta get behind him and trust the process Ruuds blue army 🦊🦊

@tommymitchell_7: Just gained a soft spot for Leicester 🥺❤️🇳🇱

@Ashleypp1986: Expecting a performance today, new manager in the stands players will be out to impress. Team talk should go out there and express yourself, and let’s get into Brentford from the off. Tough game they are good at home would be very happy with a point. #LCFC