Former Manchester United striker appointed head coach of European giants

• Van Nistelrooy, 45, will take charge at the Philips Stadion in the summer, succeeding Roger Schmidt
• The former Manchester United marksman has previously worked as an assistant of the Holland national team
• On his appointment, Van Nistelrooy said he has always wanted to manage PSV

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was on Wednesday, March 20 officially unveiled as the new head coach of Dutch side PSV.

Sports Brief had earlier reported of van Nistelrooy being in pole position to land the role, following the departure of Roger Schmidt.

The former striker was considered for the job after PSV failed to agree on a deal with Schmidt.

He is no stranger to coaching as he has previously been in charge of PSV's Under-19s from 2018 to 2021, before eventually moving to second-tier side Jong PSV.

His stint as Jong PSV boss was quite average as he managed to guide the side to 11th in the Dutch second-tier after 10 wins, six draws and 14 defeats.

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Van Nistelrooy's appointment as PSV manager puts to bed speculation that he could be headed back to Manchester United after 16 years.

It was initially reported that, with Erik Ten Hag’s potential arrival at Old Trafford, the former Ajax boss preferred a coaching staff that comprised of Dutch coaches with some experience at Manchester United.

This rumour place the likes of Van Nistelrooy and Robin Van Persie in pole position to become Ten Hag’s assistant should he get the Manchester United job.

Van Nistelrooy’s first press conference as PSV boss

Speaking to PSV’s website after his appointment, Van Nistelrooy said it has been his dream to coach the club.

"I’ve worked intensively with Toon Gerbrands, PSV’s current General Manager, the past few seasons.

"I was convinced I could pursue a professional coaching career and originally thought I needed one more year to gain experience.

"But sometimes things do go their way and you find out that life is not completely manageable. This is the right moment to take the next step.”

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The former striker retired from football in 2012 and has been assistant at the Holland national team on two occasions.