Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has said Ruud van Nistelrooy has the qualities to become a permanent head coach, advising him against accepting an assistant role under Ruben Amorim.
Ruud van Nistelrooy Has Enjoyed an Excellent Interim Spell at Manchester United
After a successful spell as PSV Eindhoven’s manager (July 2022–May 2023), Nistelrooy took a brief break from the world of management. In the summer of 2024, he returned to the fold, coming on as Erik ten Hag’s assistant manager at Manchester United. After the Dutch tactician lost his job in the final week of October, Nistelrooy got the opportunity to manage the club on an interim basis.
In his first game, Nistelrooy took Manchester United to a thumping 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the EFL Cup. On his Premier League debut, Nistelrooy oversaw a respectable 1-1 draw with Enzo Maresca’s in-form Chelsea. In his third outing, the Red Devils beat PAOK 2-0 in the UEFA Europa League, ending the club’s three-game winless run in the competition.
Paul Scholes Advises Ruud van Nistelrooy to Leave Old Trafford
Nistelrooy will manage United in just one more match — against Leicester City on November 10 — before Amorim takes the reins. So far, it is unclear whether the former Man Utd striker will be a part of the Portuguese manager’s squad.
After the win over PAOK, Nistelrooy’s former teammate Scholes offered some invaluable career advice.
“He just looks like a manager when you see him on the sidelines. That passion there. He even dresses like a manager,” Scholes said (via Manchester Evening News).
“He speaks well, doesn’t he? Nice and calm and relaxed. Goes about his business really, really well. I am pretty sure he must have the bug back to be a manager.”
The 11-time Premier League winner added:
“When you have done it and been successful, as he was in Holland as well, going back to being an assistant, it must be quite difficult because you must be frustrated, and I asked him about it before the game. Because there are certain things he will want to do that you don’t agree with the manager, and you can say it but it doesn’t matter.
“The buck stops with the manager, and I think Ruud, now, I don’t know if he is going to stay, I don’t know that and it will be up to the new man, the men at INEOS. I think he should be a manager, he just looks like he is made to be a manager to me.”
Nistelrooy has certainly proven that he can manage a top team. However, he could have to wait a while to secure a position as head coach, as top teams are generally reluctant to switch coaches in the middle of a campaign.
