Ruud van Nistelrooy CONFIRMED as Leicester manager as Man Utd legend makes instant return to Premier League

By Neil Custis, Football writer

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY walking into the Leicester job must have managers further down the leagues tearing their hair out.

This week at the Northwest Football Awards, for example, Dave Challinor of Stockport was named manager of the year ahead of Pep Guardiola.

Now that may be because organisers felt he would probably turn up to get his gong, unlike Guardiola.

Still, two promotions in 2½ years to lift the area’s poor relation from the National League to League One — where they sit fourth — is incredible.

Yet that and a managerial background at Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde and Hartlepool would sadly never put him on a Premier League club’s radar.

Van Nistelrooy was on that radar at the Foxes in the summer after one season managing at PSV Eindhoven before they went for Steve Cooper.

Now after a further four games as interim Manchester United boss and he is in at the King Power and Cooper is out.

Big names excite fans and Van Nistelrooy has one, literally.

But he also comes with a red flag or two…

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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 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.”