Ruud van Nistelrooy has officially been named as Leicester City’s new manager, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract to take the reins at the King Power Stadium. The Dutchman steps in to replace Steve Cooper, who recently departed the club.
Van Nistelrooy briefly served as interim manager at Manchester United earlier this season, gaining valuable experience in the Premier League. For Saturday’s match against Brentford, caretaker manager Ben Dawson will remain in charge of the Foxes, with Van Nistelrooy watching from the stands at the Gtech Community Stadium. His first match at the helm will take place on Tuesday when Leicester face West Ham at home.
In an interview with LCFC.com, Van Nistelrooy shared that he sought advice from former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca before accepting the role. “When the interest came, the first person I called was Enzo,” Van Nistelrooy explained. “He was so positive about the club and spoke fondly of his time here. Hearing that made it an easy decision—this is a club I want to be part of.”
The appointment was personally overseen by club owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, commonly known as ‘Top,’ who worked closely with director of football Jon Rudkin to finalize a shortlist of candidates before selecting Van Nistelrooy.
