Ruud van Nistelrooy is among the contenders to replace Steve Cooper as the next Leicester City manager.
Leicester City confirmed the dismissal of Steve Cooper on Sunday evening, making him the second Premier League manager to be sacked in 2024/25 after Erik ten Hag.
After Ten Hag was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford, it was Ruud van Nistelrooy who stepped up to take temporary charge of the club.
The Foxes have already been on the receiving end of two masterclasses from the Dutchman, with Manchester United beating Leicester 5-2 in the Carabao Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League while he was in temporary charge.
However, the former striker has since left Old Trafford following the arrival of Ruben Amorim and now, Leicester City have approached Van Nistelrooy to replace Cooper at the King Power Stadium.
What Manchester United players have said about Leicester City target Ruud van Nistelrooy
After Cooper was sacked over the weekend, Leicester fans made their feelings on Van Nistelrooy clear, wanting either the Dutchman or Graham Potter to be their next manager.
Potter has turned down a move the Foxes yet again this week but the 48-year-old remains available.
An insight into exactly what Van Nistelrooy would offer if made Leicester boss has already been provided by several Man Utd players, as per the Mirror.
Rasmus Hojlund praised the former Red Devil and showed how he could help Leicester’s strikers.
He said: “He’s helping us every day, but he’s also helping the defence and the midfield.
“He’s a very good assistant coach, but obviously, he’s a great striker. You’re trying to learn everything about him and all these sort of things. I haven’t had that long time to learn from him yet because I haven’t been back for a little more than a month or so. But obviously, he’s given me a lot of good advice.”
Tom Heaton was quick to praise Ruud for his exceptional attention to detail.
He said: “I was always his preferred keeper for shooting practice. He’s been absolutely brilliant since he joined, and his attention to detail is exceptional.
“You could be mistaken for thinking he’s just a United legend coming in as a figurehead. But his meticulousness – and I’ve attended a few meetings where I’ve heard him speak – has been remarkable.”
Meanwhile, Jonny Evans said: “It’s always good to freshen up. Ruud coming back has been great, especially for myself. I grew up sort of idolising Ruud and the way he used to play.”
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Ruud van Nistelrooy managerial record compared to other Leicester City targets
While United players have already given their seal of approval to the ex-hitman, Emile Heskey has doubts over Van Nistelrooy joining Leicester due to his lack of managerial experience.
It is a fair comment from the former Fox, as the Midlands outfit are already in a relegation scrap and need to turn their season around as soon as possible.
Now, we have taken a look at how Van Nistelrooy’s managerial record compares to other names currently being linked with the Leicester job.
| Manager | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 37 | 9 | 8 | 138 | 63 |
| Carlos Corberan | 88 | 57 | 69 | 288 | 254 |
| Michael Carrick | 53 | 17 | 35 | 185 | 139 |
It is clear Van Nistelrooy is the most inexperienced manager of the trio but he did impress during his brief time with United.
He also shone during a one-season stint with PSV Eindhoven, where he took charge of 50 games, winning the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup in the process.