Ruud van Nistelrooy named Leicester City manager

Leicester City officially announced Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager on Friday, marking a swift transition following his recent exit from Manchester United.  

The Dutch tactician parted ways with United earlier this month after a brief tenure as interim manager and a prior stint as Erik ten Hag’s assistant.

His move to Leicester comes on the heels of Steve Cooper’s dismissal on Sunday, following a poor run of form that saw the Foxes languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone.

Van Nistelrooy now faces the challenging task of reviving Leicester’s season and steering them away from the threat of relegation.

“I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic,” said Van Nistelrooy in a club statement.

“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.”

Leicester shocked the world to win the Premier League in 2015/16 and lifted the FA Cup for the first time five years later.

But they were relegated from the top tier two years ago before bouncing back at the first attempt under now Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

Two of Van Nistelrooy’s three wins in four games as United’s caretaker manager came against Leicester in the League Cup and Premier League.

The 48-year-old has previous managerial experience from one year in charge of PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23.

He will not begin his role until Sunday, leaving a caretaker team led by Ben Dawson to take charge of Saturday’s visit to Brentford, but Van Nistelrooy will attend the game.

A prolific goalscorer, Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a glorious playing career, most notably at PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Van Nistelrooy says he will ‘cherish’ Man Utd memories in farewell message

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “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.”to Erik ten Hag.