New Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has impressed despite his limited time in management.
Leicester confirmed the appointment of Van Nistelrooy on Friday and the 48-year-old watched on from the stands on Saturday as the Foxes were hammered 4-1 by Brentford.
He joined the East Midlanders just weeks after leaving his position at Manchester United, where was part of the coaching staff before becoming interim manager after Erik ten Hag was sacked.
Before that, the Dutchman spent one season in charge of PSV Eindhoven where he won both domestic cups and secured a second place finish in the Eredivisie.
Van Nistelrooy was busy during that 2022/23 campaign, signing new fewer than 12 players, all with varying degrees of success.
Among those who joined included a current Premier League star and one who also had a brief spell at the King Power Stadium.
So, with that, here are three of the best signings Van Nistelrooy has made as a manager.
Jarrad Branthwaite
One of the biggest signings of the season was the loan addition of current Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
Now a household name at the Toffees, Branthwaite was sent to the Netherlands to gain some much-needed first-team action.
It proved to be an invaluable experience for the centre-back who told Sky Sports in 2023 that it was “the best thing I could’ve done”.
Since returning the defender has become one of the most in-demand English talents and even made his debut at senior level for the Three Lions.
Patrick van Aanholt
Another one of Van Nistelrooy’s signings at PSV will be one familiar to Leicester fans.
Patrick Van Aanholt spent the second half of the 2010/11 season on loan at the King Power Stadium and was a mainstay in the left-back position.
After spells at Sunderland Crystal Palace the Dutch full-back moved to Galatasaray in 2021 before moving on loan to PSV in January 2023.
There he would win the KNVB Cup while with Van Nistelrooy and made 21 appearances, scoring two goals.
He’d stay for an extra season following the Dutchman’s departure and given that left-back is a position Leicester want to recruit in, it’s not completely out of the question to say he could return to the East Midlands.
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Luuk de Jong
Perhaps one of, or if not, the best signings made by Van Nistelrooy. Luuk de Jong returned to PSV after a spell in Spain which included a year on loan at Barcelona.
De Jong scored 18 goals from 39 games in all competitions in his first season back at the Dutch giants, surpassing the likes of Romario, Mateja Kezman and Hallvar Thoresen in the club’s list of all-time scorers.
Without his goals, a second place finish would’ve been unlikely for PSV.