Ruud van Nistelrooy breaks silence on Manchester United sacking Erik ten Hag

Ruud van Nistelrooy says he has a ‘huge amount of mixed emotions’ after Manchester United decided to sack Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag’s turbulent spell in charge of the Red Devils came to an end of Monday as he was dismissed after 30 months in charge.

The Dutchman won two trophies during his spell at Old Trafford but United only finished eighth in the Premier League last season and a poor start to the 2024-25 campaign has left them 14th in the table.

Ten Hag’s final game in charge was Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which was Manchester United’s fourth loss in nine league games.

Club legend Van Nistelrooy, who returned to United as Ten Hag’s assistant last summer, has been named as interim manager.

Van Nistelrooy admits he was ‘saddened’ by Ten Hag’s departure but says it is a ‘great honour’ to manage Manchester United, even on a temporary basis.

United are working on a deal for Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim but Van Nistelrooy will be in charge for the Carabao Cup clash against Leicester City on Wednesday night.

Writing in United’s matchday programme, Van Nistelrooy said: ‘Good evening and welcome to Old Trafford.

‘As I am sure everyone can imagine, I am writing these notes with a huge amount of mixed emotions.

‘Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.

‘Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so. I can promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try to turn around our fortunes.

‘Despite our results, I am loving being back at Old Trafford and working with the team and staff every day. We’ve seen the squad’s potential at times this season, but clearly not often enough.

‘Now is the time for everyone at the club to work together, give everything and turn this season around while we have time.

‘From my experiences as both a player and a coach here, I can say for sure that when players, staff and supporters pull together, Manchester United can be unstoppable.

‘Thankfully, we have time on our side and with fixtures coming so regularly now, we also have plenty of opportunities to build up some positive momentum, starting with tonight’s visit of Steve Cooper and Leicester City in the Carabao Cup.

‘It will not be easy, of course. Leicester are Premier League opposition and they will also be highly motivated by the prospect of moving into the quarter-finals.

‘However, every game we play is also an opportunity for us to remind everyone – ourselves included – of what this great club stands for.

‘When I returned in the summer as Erik’s assistant, it was because I believe that Manchester United can climb back to the levels that I knew here as a player.

‘I still have that belief, but it will take time and a lot of hard work. The first step is to restore the winning habit, starting at Old Trafford this evening.

‘I know first-hand the positive effect that our wonderful fans can have on the team, so please get behind the players as we fight together to move a step closer to Wembley.’

Manchester United hope to strike a deal with Sporting and Amorim before their next Premier League game, against Chelsea on Sunday.

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