The voice barking orders in a Dutch accent during training at the University of California campus in Los Angeles belongs to Ruud van Nistelrooy not Erik ten Hag.
While Ten Hag stands back, observing Manchester United’s coaching staff in a white baseball cap to shield his head from the Californian sunshine, Van Nistelrooy is busy organising a session that encourages the players to move the ball into wide areas to set up goals. The man who scored 150 times in 219 games for United knows a thing or two about scoring goals.
Van Nistelrooy has returned to the club at the age of 48 this summer 18 years after a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson’s No.2 Carlos Queiroz over Cristiano Ronaldo hastened his departure from Old Trafford to Real Madrid.
Now Van Nistelrooy is the manager’s assistant alongside another new appointment, Rene Hake. While Ten Hag and Hake go way back to their time at FC Twente in Holland, the United manager only knew Van Nistelrooy through his Dutch connections.
Both assistants are said to have been Ten Hag’s choice although it is clear that co-owners Ineos were keen to freshen up the coaching staff this summer having decided to keep the manager in place.
Ruud van Nistelrooy (pictured) has returned to Man United 18 years after leaving the club
He is now Erik ten Hag’s assistant alongside fellow new recruit Rene Hake (left)
His arrival has ensured Erik ten Hag is not the only one at United barking orders in a Dutch accent on the training pitch
Ten Hag’s No.2 Mitchell van der Gaag has left to pursue managerial opportunities and Steve McClaren has switched to senior first-team coach. McClaren has remained at Carrington to work with the international contingent who are reporting late for pre-season while United are on tour in the US. A recent foot operation is another factor in his decision to stay at home.
So Van Nistelrooy and Hake have started work in pre-season along with new goalkeeper coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar who was on his way from Burnley to Ajax this summer before United stepped in.
Darren Fletcher has also joined the coaching staff on a full-time basis following Jason Wilcox’s appointment as technical director, along with Lillestrom boss Andreas Georgson.
Fletcher was so young when Van Nistelrooy was a player at United that the Dutchman used to give him a lift into training because he couldn’t drive. Fletcher repaid the favour by lending him box sets such as the hit show 24.
Van Nistelrooy is keen not to be viewed simply as a forwards coach who has replaced Benni McCarthy in Ten Hag’s backroom team. Fletcher for one would vouch for the fact that the former Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven player’s vast experience is just as valuable to the defenders because he knows exactly what they can do to make life difficult for a striker.
United defender Jonny Evans is another. ‘He’s probably himself quite obsessed about defensive structure,’ says Evans. ‘As a striker, I’m sure that was always quite interesting where he could score his goals.
‘After he left United, he had a spell when he went to Spain (with Malaga) and he was talking about when he was under Manuel Pellegrini and real diehard defensive coaches. I think he learned a lot and he saw real value in it.
Van Nistelrooy has already commanded the respect of United’s players, with Jonny Evans hailing him as his idol when he was first breaking through at Old Trafford
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton has also hailed Van Nistelrooy as his ‘favourite ever finisher’
‘Having Ruud come back has been great, especially for myself. I sort of grew up idolising Ruud and the way he used to play. I got a little bit of chance when I was in the youth team to see him play, when he was coming to the end of his United career, and I might have trained with him once or twice when he was coming back from injury. It’s good to have someone of that calibre and respect in the squad.’
Van Nistelrooy was a leading contender to fill the managerial vacancy at Burnley this summer, and is known to have had several more good opportunities. But when his old club United came calling there was only ever going to be one outcome.
The man who led PSV to victory in the Dutch Cup and second place in the Eredivisie in his only full season as a manager in 2022-23 was happy to put off becoming a boss again to be No.2 at United.
With Hake and Georgson giving up managerial jobs at Go Ahead Eagles and Lillestrom respectively, United have certainly put together a high-powered coaching team but there’s no doubt that Ten Hag is the boss. While training winds up here at UCLA, he is deep in conversation with Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, United’s new sporting director Dan Ashworth and Wilcox.
It’s hardly surprising that your attention is drawn to Van Nistelrooy, however, given his history with United. Aside from the salt and pepper beard, he looks every bit the same 6ft 2in physical specimen who rampaged through Premier League defences under Ferguson.
He made an instant impact as a player, immersing himself in books about the club after he signed from PSV for £18.5million in 2001, and sources say that his personality and presence as a coach have been evident from the very start this summer.
They describe a man with real authority among players who are well aware of his reputation a player even though some of them are too young to have watched him play.
Van Nistelrooy is said to be a good communicator who likes to talk to the players one-on-one. He was seen giving instructions to Marcus Rashford before United’s first friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim, and young Joe Hugill after the second game against Rangers.
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton is another boyhood United player who saw Van Nistelrooy in action at Old Trafford as he was coming through the youth ranks and is delighted to see him back.
Van Nistelrooy has been giving advice to Marcus Rashford as he looks to get the winger back to his best
He has also been passing on instructions to promising youngster Joe Hugill (right)
‘I’ve played with quite a few players and he’s my favourite ever finisher, the best I’ve ever seen – he was brilliant,’ says Heaton.
‘If he shares his thoughts about how he did it and what he did, maybe some of his drills, I’m sure there’s some translation. I’m sure there’s something he can give. I’d say that’s probably a big part of what he’s here for. Whatever he did worked, he was that good at it. I’ve seen some brilliant finishers but I’ve not seen anyone better in my career.
‘We had a conversation a couple of days ago, and he said he could never really see himself managing or coaching. But in his final year, I think it was in Malaga, Pellegrini saw, not that his legs had gone, but that he was sort of done before he saw it. So Pellegrini asked him to help by working a few drills and he said he really enjoyed it, so he’s had the journey. I think he’s done well, hasn’t he?
‘It’s been so good to see him, I have to say, and he’s been brilliant. You’d be forgiven for thinking: “He’s a United legend coming in, is he just a face for it?”. But his level of detail has been outstanding – and Rene Hake as well. I think they’re all going to be active, taking a share of it.’
It would be wrong to underestimate Hake’s role in the new set-up, even though he is not as big a name as his Dutch compatriot. Hake is highly rated by Ten Hag and so is Ten Rouwelaar who is encouraging United’s keepers to play out from the back. Meanwhile, Georgson has been brought in to focus on set-plays and player development.
It’s a bold new coaching set-up, and one that United believe can help Ten Hag deliver the kind of success Van Nistelrooy was used to in his pomp.