Ruud Van Nistelrooy left PSV for Manchester United in 2001. Now he returns as coach (©AFP)
Ruud Van Nistelrooy left PSV for Manchester United in 2001. Now he returns as coach (©AFP)

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid goalscorer takes up his first managerial job - back where it all started

Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 30.03.22. | 20:42

Ruud Van Nistelrooy is the new PSV head coach

Former European champions PSV Eindhoven have appointed their former striker and Dutch legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy as their new head coach. The 45-year-old has been gaining experience in charge of the PSV's youth team and will make the step up to the first team at the end of this season.

Van Nistelrooy will replace German coach Roger Schmidt who will leave his post at the end of the season when his contract expires. Perhaps it hadn't been the plan to hand their old striker such a role just yet, but the Eindhoven club decided to take a leap of faith.

"I was convinced I could pursue a professional coaching career and originally thought I needed one more year to gain experience. But sometimes things do go their way and you find out that life is not completely manageable. This is the right moment to take the next step."

Friday, 21.00: (2.45) AZ Alkmar II (3.30) PSV II (2.70)

He used to score goals for fun for the red and whites from Eindhoven. A fantastic tally of 62 goals in 67 matches between 1998 and 2001. Sir Alex Ferguson signed the Dutchman for Manchester United and made him one of the best attackers in the world. In five seasons at Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 appearances. Apart from one season where he was mostly out injured, he had scored twenty or more Premier League goals in every campaign as a Red Devil.

Van Nistelrooy with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001 (©AFP)Van Nistelrooy with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001 (©AFP)

He later played for Real Madrid, Hamburger SV and Malaga before ending his playing career in 2012.

In the past decade, he's spent time with the PSV academy, coaching Under-17s and Under-19s, but has also been Guus Hiddink's assistant in the Dutch national team. However, this new role at the Philips Arena will be Van Nistelrooy's first job in charge of a senior side.

PSV are currently second-places in the Dutch Eredivisie, just two points behind leaders Ajax.


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Ruud van NistelrooyPSV EindhovenEredivisie

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