Ruud van Nistelrooy 'hurt' after Manchester United exit but 'astonished' by interest before taking Leicester City job

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New Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted he was "astonished" by the offers he received following a four-game stint in charge of Manchester United, before the arrival of Ruben Amorim. The Dutchman took charge at Old Trafford after compatriot Erik ten Hag's sacking, winning three games and drawing one - earning himself several suitors in the process.

Van Nistelrooy ‘astonished’ by interest after four-game stint as interim Man Utd boss

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Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted he was "hurt" by his Manchester United exit, but "astonished" by the level of interest in him following his interim spell as head coach at Old Trafford.

The 48-year-old takes over at Leicester City after Steve Cooper was sacked in November, joining on a deal until 2027.

Van Nistelrooy only took charge of four United games after Erik ten Hag’s departure and before the arrival of Ruben Amorim, winning three and drawing one.

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The former Netherlands striker said he had other offers besides Leicester, but The Foxes moved quickly to appoint him. He will face West Ham United in his first game in charge.

"I have to say there were offers there and possibilities," the Dutchman revealed. "It's good to have them and look and be critical on where you're going to work.

"What happened after the games and the amount of interest, the options that all of a sudden were there for me and the options that came along, I was a little bit astonished.

"I went into conversations with Leicester because I thought, having spoken to other people, it was a great opportunity to get to know each other.

"It was a good feeling and in the end both parties felt it. That was a good reason to start working together."

It is Van Nistelrooy’s first head coaching role since he left PSV Eindhoven in 2023, having won the Dutch Cup and finishing second in the Eredivisie in his one season as the club’s manager.

But he said that short period of success at the Dutch club pales in comparison to the reaction he received following four games in charge at Old Trafford.

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"It was four games [at United] and I managed a full season at PSV, was able to win the cup and the [Johan Cruyff] Shield," Van Nistelrooy continued.

"I have been in coaching, in the [under] 19s and the national [team] and it never got this reaction from the football world. It provoked these reactions - and I was only happy with that."

Discussions with former team-mate and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who managed The Foxes to the Championship title last season, helped convince him to take the job at King Power Stadium.

The two played together at Malaga in 2011/12 and the Italian was one of the first people Van Nistelrooy called when the offer came.

"When the first approach came, I thought about the club, players, training ground and set-up. I was curious about people who worked there," he added.

"Enzo is a great friend and team-mate, was one of the first to call. What better information could I get?

"When we played against each other when I was the interim manager [at United] against Chelsea, we spoke for half an hour even though I didn't know about Leicester at the time.

"He was very positive back then, and it only got better when I spoke to him again. He was absolutely right from the first impressions I have got."

Sitting just one point above the relegation zone, Leicester face a visit from Julen Lopetegui's West Ham on Tuesday. The Hammers themselves sit 14th in the table and only five points ahead of Leicester.

"The expectations are clear, they are not easy but they are clear," Van Nistelrooy said of Leicester's goals for this season.

"It is something we face, that challenge to maintain and play in the Premier League and that is the big target for everybody."

'It hurt I had to leave'

The former United striker revealed that it hurt having to leave Old Trafford, but is eager to make his mark with Leicester.

Almost two decades after leaving United as a player, he exited the club once again after joining in July as Ten Hag's assistant manager.

"The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I'm here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it. So I was disappointed, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave," he said.

"In the end I got my head round it because I also understand the new manager. I'm in football long enough and I've managed myself. I understand."

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With Amorim bringing his own backroom staff from Sporting, there was no room for Van Nistelrooy behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

"I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager.

"That helped [me] a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits."

He now takes over a Leicester squad that struggled under Cooper and has not won a game since October 5.

After a debacle at the club's Christmas party trip to Copenhagen where players were told their behaviour was unacceptable, Van Nistelrooy made sure to check their characters before taking the role.

"It's the only way you can work," added the Dutchman. "It's mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone.

"With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That's important, that there are good people there.

"I look at the players and how they play. I obviously don't know them but I got general information... that they are a good bunch of people."

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