Jaap Stam has predicted his former teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy will walk away from Manchester United this week rather than remain on as a part of Ruben Amorim’s coaching staff.
Club legend van Nistelrooy was placed in temporary charge as interim manager at Old Trafford following the sacking of Erik ten Hag last month. The former striker remained unbeaten in his four games in charge, signing off with an impressive 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim will now take the reins, officially arriving at the club today after signing a two-and-half year deal with the Premier League giants.
Van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester in the summer to join Ten Hag’s backroom staff, a move that surprised some having served as PSV Eindhoven first-team manager last year.
Van Nistelrooy has expressed his desire to stay on at Old Trafford, where he has a contract until 2026. But Amorim is expected to arrive in Manchester with his own backroom staff, casting doubt on the Dutchman’s future.
Stam and van Nistelrooy’s paths crossed only briefly at United, with the striker joining early in the summer of 2001 with Stam controversially sold to Lazio two months later – still regarded as perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson’s most glaring transfer error.
The pair lined up alongside each other for Netherlands with the former defender fully aware of how highly-regarded his countryman remains at Old Trafford.
But Stam believes van Nistelrooy may now choose to seek a fresh challenge once Amorim and his staff are in his place.
‘A man like Ruud, coming in as the legend he is, he needs to have a certain position within the club, where people look up to him and one where he can make a difference,’ Stam told Metro last week courtesy of BetMGM.
‘Amorin will probably want to bring in his own assistants, people he has worked with over the years. If that happens, is Ruud becoming just another assistant, one of the coaches? Is that right position for Ruud? I don’t think so, I would find that hard to believe, because Ruud has more in his locker than being just one of the coaches for Manchester United.
‘It will be up to Ruud of course but I can’t see him doing that under new management.’
United put five past Leicester in van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge in the Carabao Cup, drawing against Chelsea before securing United’s first European win in a year against PAOK in the Europa League.
Sunday’s win over the Foxes ensured van Nistelrooy will bow out undefeated, with Stam admitting it would be a ‘shame’ to see van Nistelrooy leave in those circumstances.
‘They might need to give him a contract!’ Stam joked. ‘It would be great for Ruud to win them all. The club do appear to be going in a different way with the new manager but it gives Ruud the chance to do something with the group in the short-term, starting against Chelsea on Sunday.
‘If you can get a result against them it will be a huge boost for everyone. We Dutch people, we always want Dutch managers everywhere but it is not just about that. Ruud is a good manager, he did well in Holland and has the potential to become a great one.
‘You would like him to get more than just a couple of games leading the team. But the club have already made their decision and that is a shame for Ruud.’
