RUUD VAN NISTELROOY has revealed the “relationship with the individual” is the key managerial skill he learnt from Sir Alex Ferguson.
Former Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy, 48, arrived at Old Trafford in 2001 and spent five years with the Red Devils before he joined Real Madrid.
He scored 150 goals in 219 games, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.
Now, 18 years after departing Man Utd, he has returned as Erik ten Hag‘s new assistant coach.
And Van Nistelrooy, who also played under legendary England boss Sir Bobby Robson for one season at PSV, feels a cornerstone of coaching is to treat each footballer as a person and build a connection with the individual.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “The most important thing I took from working with Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alex Ferguson was their relationships with the individual.
“It’s not a football player; it’s a person. When you reach that connection, you get the best out of people – and from there on you can help them build their careers. I never let that thought go out of my mind.
“Sometimes you have to be tough on them and sometimes you have to get your arm around them. That mixture is important, but the most important thing is to always be honest and straight.
“When you have knowledge about the game and what is necessary at the highest level, you must share it.
“As a coach, you just try to help players reach their goals. And it is something that makes you feel really proud when you see young players develop.”
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Van Nistelrooy became PSV head coach in 2022 and spent 12 months at the helm, winning 33 of his 51 matches in charge.
He won the Dutch Cup and finished second in the Eredivisie, eight points adrift of Feyenoord.
But Man Utd Treble winner Dwight Yorke, who spent one year playing with Van Nistelrooy, has criticised the Dutchman’s return to Old Trafford.
Yorke told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Champions League Betting: “Something is not quite right about that, in my opinion, although he’s very professional.
“I’m sure he’ll go in there and do all his due diligence for the manager and work under the manager’s regime – but I don’t like the bigger picture.
“I’ve got to be honest. I’d rather sit on the side and be clear in my intention of being a full-time manager.
“I just think the environment is not quite right, even though you’re pushing for the team to win and I’m sure that’s the case with Ruud.
“But if that doesn’t go well, then there is only one person who’s going to take the blame and be sacked.
“That is unless Ruud decides to leave if Ten Hag goes, but personally I wouldn’t like to be in his position.
“I’ve seen it with Roy Keane, under Paul Lambert, under the likes of Martin O’Neill as well, it wasn’t for Keane to be a number two.
“And I like to think Ruud is similar in that sense, having said that it’s such a great opportunity to be at United as it’s not easy to turn your back on in any role.”
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