Leicester City’s new manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, was amazed by the widespread interest in him after his brief time as manager of Manchester United.
The ex-Netherlands forward took over from Steve Cooper on Friday, signing a deal until 2027. However, he admitted he had other options.
After Erik ten Hag was fired, he filled in for four games at Old Trafford before stepping down when Ruben Amorim was hired last month.
Leicester acted fast to bring the 48-year-old to King Power Stadium, with Van Nistelrooy admitting he had other choices.
“It’s clear there were options and potential outcomes.” “It’s good to have them, examine things, and be critical about where you’ll work,” the Dutchman stated.
The amount of interest and the options available after the games surprised me.
“I started discussions with Leicester because I believed, after talking to others, it was a good opportunity for us to get to know each other.
“It was a good feeling that both parties shared. That gave us a good starting point to work together.”
In the 2022-23 season, Van Nistelrooy led PSV Eindhoven to a Dutch Cup victory and a second-place Eredivisie finish, adding to his coaching experience with the Netherlands and PSV Under-19s.
“During my time at United, I played four games. I had a successful season at PSV, winning the cup and charity shield before that.
“The reactions it elicited were exactly what I wanted.”
Leicester, currently 16th in the Premier League and one point clear of the relegation zone, welcomes West Ham on Tuesday at 20:15 GMT, with him taking the helm.
Watching Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Brentford from the stands, Van Nistelrooy already has his sights set on this season’s target.
He explained, “The expectations are clear. They are not easy, but they are clear.” The main goal is to meet the challenge of staying in the Premier League and keeping performing well.
Van Nistelrooy will team up with striker Jamie Vardy, who surpassed his record for scoring in consecutive Premier League games with a run of 11 goals in 2015-16, ultimately leading to a Premier League title.
“Obviously, it’s a problem that he broke my record!” said Van Nistelrooy.
“I didn’t hesitate to say, ‘We have a significant issue that needs to be resolved before we can move forward together.’”
“I’m pretty sure I was ahead of him.” “I remember tweeting about the record and wishing him well back then. Nine years later, it’s bizarre how life works.”