‘Man Utd will always hold a special place in my heart’: Van Nistelrooy bids farewell to Old Trafford

New Delhi, Nov 15 Dutch football legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Manchester United’s interim head coach who has now departed from the club upon the arrival of Ruben Amorim, took to social media on Friday to thank the club for giving him the opportunity.

"To everyone at Manchester United Football Club, in particular the backroom staff, the players and the fans. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible efforts and support. It has been a privilege and honour to represent the club as a player, coach and manager, and I will always cherish the memories we have shared together," Van Nistelrooy said in his post.

"M.U.F.C will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope there are many more glory days at Old Trafford very soon - not only because I want the club to do well, but because you all deserve it! All the best and take care, Ruud," wrote Van Nistelrooy on Instagram.

Van Nistelrooy joined the club’s coaching staff as an assistant coach to Erik Ten Hag in June 2024 and was later appointed the interim head coach after Ten Hag was sacked. Under his tenure, the team went unbeaten in four games, a solid achievement given they were sitting in 14th place at the time of Ten Hag’s departure, with three wins and one draw.

Ruben Amorim’s arrival, alongside his coaching staff from Sporting CP, meant it was an unfortunate end to Ruud’s coaching tenure at the club. The Portuguese head coach reached England on November 11 and met the players who were available given the international break.

Since March 2020, when Amorim took charge of Sporting, they have the highest win percentage (77%) of any team across Europe’s top 10 leagues, as per Opta. Now, however, Amorim is heading to Old Trafford for a new challenge which begins with an away trip against Ipswich Town on November 24.

Source: IANS