The latest Manchester United news as the former striker and interim manager is going through a tough time with Leicester City with relegation looking more and more likely.
Sport Amie Wilson Central Audience Writer 20:00, 04 Apr 2025
Just a matter of weeks after leaving Manchester United at the end of last year, Ruud van Nistelrooy was back in the dugout with Leicester City.
After a successful four-match stint in caretaker charge at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim’s arrival at the club led to the Dutchman leaving his role after joining as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer.
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It didn’t take him long to return to management as he replaced Steve Cooper at Leicester City, the club he had beaten twice in his four games in interim charge at United.
Things have, however, not gone how Van Nistelrooy or Leicester would have hoped with them both staring at a likely relegation back to the Championship. A 3-0 loss against United before the international break left them nine points off safety and things have got worse since the return of domestic football.
It has led to some questions being asked about his future at the King Power Stadium ahead of Monday night’s Premier League clash against Newcastle United. However, his involvement in a service for late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s 67th birthday on Friday suggests that no decision is imminent.
Here’s a look at the latest surrounding the manager and his future.
Leicester struggles
After a positive start to his time at the club with a win and a draw against West Ham and Brighton in his first two games in charge, things have gone down hill for Van Nistelrooy and Leicester.
The Foxes have suffered 14 defeats in their last 15 league matches. The only league win in that time came in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur back in January, that game was the last time the team have scored a goal in the Premier League.
They have since lost every other game while failing to find the back of the net. The latest defeat saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat against Man City on Wednesday night, a result which left them 12 points adrift of safety with just eight games remaining.
Player ‘row’
Midfielder Harry Winks was not included in the Leicester squad for that game, with Van Nistelrooy confirming it was a selection decision. However, reports of a ‘row’ between player and manager emerged on Thursday.
The Telegraph report that Winks was left out of the squad after he refused to stay overnight for one day a week at Leicester’s training ground, amid his 90+mile commute into training. Van Nistelrooy is said to have reacted ‘angrily’ with the row described as ‘heated’.
It was said that Winks had his own personal reasons for wanting to commute, and following the report, Winks took to social media to announce the birth of a baby girl who was born last month.
It comes after reports claimed defender Jannik Vestergaard allegedly brought his dog to training at the multi-million pound training complex earlier this season. It was added that he was given permission to bring his dog as a ‘one-off’ due to having no one else to care for it.
‘Alignment’ message
As pressure mounts, Van Nistelrooy has said that he is seeking talks with Leicester’s hierarchy over the plans for next season. He has suggested that he wants assurances that the club see him as the person to take them forward and has spoken about ‘alignment.
Speaking about next season’s manager’s job, via LeicestershireLive, he said: “I think it’s very important to be aligned on that with the club. We have to find out over the coming weeks.
“Coming in in December and how the winter window went, taking it into the new season and the challenges we face, it’s very important for me to be aligned and (know) what possibilities are there. That alignment has to take place.”
When asked if the decision over next season needs to be sorted now, he responded with: “It needs to be sorted yesterday.
“The short term is to get something out of the eight games remaining. But there are two focuses at the same time.
“One is clear. The other, the alignment, we have to find each other there.”
Replacement rumours
While there has not been too many reports surrounding Van Nistelrooy’s future at Leicester, there has been some small whispers about possible replacements if they do make a change.
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Last week it was reported by L’Equipe that Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior was ‘in the sights’ of both Leicester and Southampton, but neither club represented an ‘immediate threat’.
It was then reported on Thursday by the Daily Mail that Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl could be a target for Leicester if Van Nistelrooy leaves the club after relegation at the end of the campaign. It is reported that the compensation fee due to Wednesday would be lower for a Championship club than it would be for a Premier League club.
