"Then I had a phone call" - Ruud van Nistelrooy explains what led to Manchester United return

Ruud van Nistelrooy shed light on his return to Manchester United after joining Erik ten Hag's backroom staff. The club's iconic former Dutch striker reunited with the Red Devils in the summer.

Ten Hag's coaching team was overhauled and Van Nistelrooy replaced Mitchell van der Gaag. He spoke to his former teammate Rio Ferdinand about the events that led to his appointment as assistant coach (via TNT Sports):

"I was on a managerial track, I managed PSV, it was an unbelievable experience. I was in talks with clubs to manage, I had my staff all ready. And then I had a phone call and I was like 'jeez' I never thought of it as a possibility."

Van Nistelrooy revealed that Ten Hag was the one who reached out to him about the opportunity:

"Erik called me and talked it through. I started to love the idea."

Van Nistelrooy had been out of management after leaving PSV in May 2023. He spent just short of a year in charge at the Philips Arena, guiding the Eredivisie side to 34 wins in 50 games and KNVB Cup and Dutch Super Cup triumphs.

Van the Man had enjoyed a legendary playing career before entering coaching. He spent five trophy-laden seasons at Manchester United. He netted 150 goals and 30 assists in 219 games before leaving for Real Madrid in 2006.

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Michael Owen thinks Van Nistelrooy could go down the same route as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went from caretaker to permanent Manchester United boss (Image - Getty)

Van Nistelrooy signed a two-year deal with Manchester United to join Ten Hag's backroom staff. The Dutchman turned down several first-team coach jobs including reportedly Burnley after Vincent Kompany left.

Michael Owen thinks Van Nistelrooy is positioned to succeed Ten Hag at some stage if he remains with the club as long as his compatriot. He told betting company OLGB at the time of the iconic Red Devils striker's return

"It’s an interesting situation for Van Nistelrooy at Manchester United, because if it’s five games, 50 games or 500 games, Ten Hag will go at some point. When it does happen the club will look for a new manager and because that takes time, there is often an interim coach or a caretaker while that search happens."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed United interim coach in December 2018 and impressed in the role. Club officials opted to hand him a contract as permanent manager.

Owen reckons Van Nistelrooy could similarly make the step up:

"So if Van Nistelrooy doesn’t leave before Ten Hag, you would think that he would get a handful of games as manager like Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick have done in the past. Even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was temporary and he did well enough to buy himself more time and eventually they had to give him the job."

Ten Hag's future is again in the spotlight amid United's concerning start to the new season. He's overseen two wins, two defeats and one draw in five league games, and his side sits 11th in the league.