A fan favourite since his goal-scoring days with United, Van Nistelrooy rejoined the club last summer as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants.
Following Ten Hag’s departure, Van Nistelrooy stepped up as interim manager and now hands over to incoming head coach Ruben Amorim after concluding his stint with the much-needed league win.
The Old Trafford crowd was vocal in its support, chanting the Dutchman’s name from the start, culminating in a touching full-time send-off as Van Nistelrooy applauded the fans.
Reflecting on his time, Van Nistelrooy shared said: “After this block of four games, it felt like closure for that period and the future is open.
You’ve done us proud, Ruud. pic.twitter.com/B29GnNMAsm
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 10, 2024
“That’s the way I felt it.” He described the moment as “a beautiful moment to be able to share that with the supporters and special.”
“I felt like closing this period down, if you say it like that. Basically, it was a moment here and now, and that was the beauty of the moment in my opinion, where circumstances came together.
“It was a beautiful moment and it was gratitude from my side to them, and the reception I was able to receive was unbelievable so I can only thank them.”
Amorim, who arrives after coaching his last game with Sporting Lisbon, has confirmed that he will bring in his own staff, creating uncertainty about Van Nistelrooy’s future as an assistant, even though his contract with the club runs until 2026.
Van Nistelrooy expressed appreciation for the club’s transparent communication throughout his interim role, saying: “I appreciated the clear communication of the club that it was an interim spell for a short term… They said ‘OK, it’s going to be four, it’s going to be announced a new head coach,’ etc, etc.”
“In the end, the most important thing is this football club, and I’m here to support that in my role.”
“As I said, I want to continue doing that in the future and now also the communication was OK [that] ‘after the block of four games, there will be communication towards you and your colleagues that are in an uncertain situation’. So, I expect to hear today or tomorrow from them.”
