Manchester United great Ruud van Nistelrooy will replace head coach Roger Schmidt at his former club PSV Eindhoven starting next season.
The Dutchman will take his first steps into senior management after the conclusion of the current season. The 45-year-old, who has been coaching the reserve side since 2021, was announced as the first team’s next manager, replacing the outgoing Roger Schmidt in the role – starting next season.
“I was convinced I could pursue a professional coaching career and originally thought I needed one more year to gain experience.
But sometimes things do go their way and you find out that life is not completely manageable. This is the right moment to take the next step.
“PSV are ready to embark on a new path this summer and I am ready to play my part,”
Van Nistelrooy said upon his appointment.
As a player, van Nistelrooy is known best for his productive spells at PSV and later Manchester United. The striker made 219 appearances for the latter across his five seasons in England, scoring 150 goals. Upon his appointment, his former club released a statement wishing him the best for the future.
“Good luck with your first managerial role, Ruud. Everybody at Manchester United wishes you well,”
read a statement on the Red Devils’ website.
Van Nistelrooy took his first steps into management in 2014 when he joined the Netherlands national team as Louis van Gaal’s assistant manager – and stayed on when van Gaal was replaced by Danny Blind in the dugout. A stint as the PSV U19 manager followed before van Nistelrooy returned to the Dutch camp in 2019.
In June 2021, van Nistelrooy was appointed as the head coach of the Eerste Divisie side – and PSV’s reserve team – Jong PSV. After 30 games of the ongoing season, the team lies 11th in the table, boasting a record of 10 wins, six draws, and 14 losses.
