Former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen admits he is surprised to see Ruud van Nistelrooy stepping away from being a head coach this summer.
The ex-striker left the Reds under a cloud in 2006 when he pushed through a transfer to Real Madrid. Van Nistelrooy and Sir Alex Ferguson fell out during his exit but the 48-year-old has since claimed he regretted the way things ended back then and the pair have since reconciled.
Fast forward to 2024 and with Van Nistelrooy closing in on a return to management with Burnley in the Championship, Erik ten Hag swooped in to secure him a role on his coaching staff.
The addition is seen as a coup for United considering his last job was as the head coach for PSV Eindhoven. READ MORE: Inside United's new coaching set-up READ MORE: Why United had to change coaches This surprise extends to Free Bets ambassador Meulensteen who told MEN Sport about his relationship with the Dutch footballing great and what we can expect from him in the backroom staff. "For Ruud, it's an opportunity to go back to United and work with a really big club. "I know Ruud really well, had some really good conversations with him and discussed opportunities for myself to work with him at PSV before this was announced.
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