Ruud van Nistelrooy is a former Dutch international striker who has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe including Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Van Nistelrooy started his career at Den Bosch, before joining Heerenveen and then winning the first of two Eredivisie titles at Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
He moved to Manchester United in 2001 for £19million to spearhead their attack and he won the Premier League, FA and League Cup during his five years at the club.
Real Madrid bought van Nistelrooy for €14m in July 2006, and he had an injury-hit three and a half seasons at the club where he won La Liga twice.
He joined German side Hamburg in January 2010 and then ended his playing career after one season at Malaga in 2012.
He made his international debut for the Netherlands in 1998 and went on to make 70 appearances and scored 35 goals for his country.
Van Nistelrooy began his managerial career with the PSV youth teams, before becoming the head coach of PSV in March 2022 and won the Dutch Cup in 2023.
After leaving PSV in May 2023, he became assistant manager at Manchester United in July 2024 and was appointed interim head coach for four matches after Erik ten Hag was sacked in October.
He left Manchester United when Ruben Amorim was appointed as the new head coach and was swiftly snapped up by Leicester City as their new boss in late November 2024.
Van Nistelrooy’s early career
After playing for local clubs Nooit Gedacht and RKSV Margriet, Van Nistelrooy began his professional career with Eerste Divisie side Den Bosch at the age of 17 in 1993.
He made 71 appearances and scored 20 goals while at Den Bosch over the next four seasons, before Eredivisie club Heerenveen swooped ahead of the 1997/98 campaign.
They paid €360,000 for his services and he impressed in his one season at the club scoring 16 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions.
His performances alerted Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven who splashed out €6.3m in time for the 1998/99 season.
Van Nistelrooy scored 41 goals in 46 appearances in his first season and won the Dutch Player of the Year award.
The following season he won the same award again and was part of the side that lifted the 99/00 Eredivisie title.
Injury stopped a potential move to Manchester United for the 2000/01 season. He did manage to play 12 games and scored four goals for PSV, which earned him his second Eredivisie medal.
Van Nistelrooy and Manchester United

Van Nistelrooy finally completed his £19m move to Manchester United in the summer of 2001 on a five-year deal.
In his first season, he scored two goals on his Premier League debut against Fulham in August and his first hat-trick against Southampton in December.
He eventually rattled in 36 goals in 49 games across all competitions, 23 of those in the Premier League which earned him the PFA Players’ and Fans’ Player of the Year awards.
In the 2002/23 campaign Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League golden boot as Manchester United claimed the title. He also won the Premier League Player of the Year award and was named as the best striker in Europe by UEFA.
Van Nistelrooy helped Manchester United win the FA Cup in 2004, scoring two goals in the final against Millwall.
He also won the 2006 League Cup against Wigan, although was not selected for the starting line-up which fuelled rumours he would be leaving the club.
It was indeed the beginning of the for van Nistelrooy, after reported bust-ups with the manager Alex Ferguson and fellow players including Ronaldo.
He left Manchester United in July 2006, after five seasons and 150 goals from 219 matches across all competitions.
Real Madrid and Van Nistelrooy
In July 2006, Van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid on a three-year contract in a deal worth €14 million.
He netted his first hat-trick in his second La Liga game against Levante and went on to win the Pichichi award for the league’s top scorer that season after netting 25 in 37 games.
Van Nistelrooy won his first La Liga title that season, and his second the following year where he bagged 16 in 24 appearances, despite having ankle surgery in March.
He scored 10 goals in 12 matches before a knee injury curtailed the 2008/09 campaign, and then he damaged his thigh in his return match the following season and was out for six weeks.
He made just four appearances and scored one goal for Real Madrid in the 2009/10 season before joining Bundesliga side Hamburg in January.
End of playing career
Van Nistelrooy scored his first two Hamburg goals in February 2010 against VfB Stuttgart and ended the season with seven goals from 18 games across all competitions.
He scored ten goals in 26 appearances across all competitions in his only full season in Hamburg during the 2010/11 season.
In June 2011, he joined Spanish side Malaga on a free transfer and scored five goals in 32 appearances before hanging up his boots at the end of the season at the age of 35.
International career with the Netherlands
He made his debut in a friendly against Germany in November 1998 and scored his first goal against Morocco in April 1999.
He was called up for Euro 2004, and scored four goals during the tournament as the Netherlands went out at the semi-final stage to Portugal.
The 2006 World was less successful as he only notched one goal, against the Ivory Coast, and was dropped to the bench for their second round defeat against Portugal.
He fell out with Netherlands head coach Marco Van Basten and was left out or refused to take part in subsequent squads for Euro 2008 qualifiers.
In January 2007, Van Nistelrooy retired from the international stage but was talked back into rethinking his decision and returned to action in September against Bulgaria in a qualifier and scored.
He was selected for Euro 2008 and scored twice during the tournament, and then announced his retirement after the Netherlands defeat to Russia in the quarter-final.
But he made himself available for the Euro 2012 qualifiers and scored his 35th and final goal in his 70th and last appearance for the Netherlands against Hungary.
Early steps in management with PSV

In June 2013, Van Nistelrooy joined PSV as a coach for the U-17s and then U-19s and reserve teams in February 2016, before being named as U-19s manager in June 2018.
While at PSV he was one of Guus Hiddink’s Netherlands coaches at the 2014 World Cup and Ronald Koeman’s assistants at Euro 2020.
He made the leap to PSV’s head coach for the 2022/23 season, leading the club to the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2023 KNVB Cup before resigning with one match to go at the end of the campaign.
Premier League management
Van Nistelrooy joined Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Manchester United in July 2024.
But by October 2024 he found himself in interim charge of the Old Trafford club after Ten Hag was sacked.
He claimed three wins and a draw in his four matches in charge before leaving the club with the appointment of new head coach Ruben Amorim.
His short but impressive spell at Manchester United helped grease the wheels for the vacant hotseat at Leicester City.
On November 29, 2024, he took over the role at the King Power Stadium and claimed his first win against West Ham on his home debut.
Van Nistelrooy's personal life
Van Nistelrooy married Leontien Slaats in 2004 and the couple have two children together Moa Annette (2006) and Liam (2008).
Van Nistelrooy's net worth
Van Nisetelrooy’s net worth is reportedly around $30million.
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