Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is set for talks with Ruben Amorim next week as the Dutchman makes his long-term intentions clear ahead of his last game in charge at Old Trafford
Ruud van Nistelrooy is adamant he wants to STAY at Old Trafford and even hinted he has his long-term sights set on being the permanent Manchester United manager.
And that will give Ruben Amorim a dilemma when the new boss takes up his position and starts a two and a half contract with the club on Monday.
Amorim is bringing in his own backroom staff but Van Nistelrooy still has over 18 months left to run on the deal he signed with United in the summer.
And ahead of his his fourth and final match as interim manager – a Premier League clash with Leicester City at Old Trafford on Sunday – the Dutchman declared: “I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club also in an assistant role. I had clear ambitions to manage, I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant and I am still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity.”
And when asked if he would one day like to take charge of United on a long-term basis, Van Nistelrooy – who managed PSV for a year – replied: “Of course. I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as assistant coach. I thought that through.”
Van Nistelrooy has won two of his three games at the helm, drawing the other, and enjoys a great rapport with United fans and it is clear he has revelled in his time in the technical area. He went on: “I’ve enjoyed it. The reaction of the players was outstanding. The past three months, I spent a lot of time with the players and got to know the players very well, where they are in their development and how I can help. We are together and we want to achieve something together. That bond is there and that’s why I feel very supported.
“I feel that the appetite to build further within this club is stronger than the other bit (wanting to manage United) so I made a deliberate decision to step into this role for two seasons and take it from there. And these four games have not changed that sentiment. That’s what I said from the beginning about what my intentions were also after my interim job.”
Although he has yet to have talks with Amorim – the pair are likely to have a meeting at the Carrington training complex on Monday – Van Nistelrooy clearly believes he can play an important role in United’s short-term and long-term future.
But while Van Nistelrooy is a supporters’ favourite, Amorim is unlikely to see him as any sort of threat and could well embrace the former striker’s enthusiasm. Van Nistelrooy is certainly aiming to end his caretaker spell with a flourish, saying: “It’s easy to manage a team that has won two of the last three and had a decent point against a good side (Chelsea). The connection with the fans is there, there is a good feeling we can turn things around and the Sunday game is a big one.”
Having scored twice in the win against PAOK, Amad Diallo will shrug off a knock to make a rare Premier League start but although Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro are back in training, they will not be available. Kobbie Mainoo will not return from his hamstring injury until some time after the international break.
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