‘I did not get on with Ruud van Nistelrooy – he is not a great coach’ | Football | Sport
Odsonne Edouard has delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy following their troubled spell together at Leicester City. The 49 year old took the reins at the Foxes in November 2024, but relegation from the Premier League just months later sealed his downfall.
United arguably influenced his appointment at the King Power Stadium after he enjoyed a highly successful four-week period as caretaker manager at Old Trafford following Erik ten Hag‘s sacking. Leicester suffered defeats to United twice during that spell, giving the club’s bosses an extensive glimpse of Van Nistelrooy’s capabilities.
Yet when overseeing Leicester, he managed merely four league victories from a potential 25, with the Foxes finishing the season 13 points adrift of safety before his departure was confirmed. A public row with Harry Winks certainly didn’t aid his cause, and it appears his relationship with Edouard was equally fractured.
The 27-year-old arrived at Leicester on loan from Crystal Palace but featured for just 142 minutes in total. None of those appearances came under Van Nistelrooy’s stewardship, with Edouard – now plying his trade at Lens in France – delivering a damning verdict on the Dutchman.
He told L’Equipe: “Being a great striker doesn’t necessarily mean being a great coach. At the beginning, I played a little [under Steve Cooper], then things didn’t work out with Van Nistelrooy.
“I didn’t get along well with Van Nistelrooy. I found myself blocked for seven months without playing.” Before taking the helm at Leicester, Van Nistelrooy was a strong contender for the top job at United, potentially following in the footsteps of former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, Ruben Amorim ultimately made the switch from Sporting CP to take charge at United. Van Nistelrooy also lost out on the Coventry City role to Frank Lampard, a decision that has since been vindicated as the Sky Blues currently lead the Championship.
Van Nistelrooy, who has been away from football since June, was previously linked with the vacant position at FC Twente before John van den Brom took up the post.
