Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he has been “amazed” by the interest in him that has emerged following his time in the transfer window at Manchester United, which he believes has earned him the Leicester job.
The Dutchman was appointed Steve Coopers' successor at the Foxes on Saturday, just 20 days after leaving United following the arrival of Ruben Amorim.
Van Nistelrooy, who previously spent a year in charge of PSV Eindhoven, has been in charge for just four games since the sacking of Erik Ten Haag, winning three and drawing one, but has been shocked by how many opportunities he has been given.
In his first press conference as Leicester manager ahead of Tuesday night's game against West Ham, the former Red Devils forward said: “I thought it was four games, and I've done a whole season at PSV.” We won the Dutch Cup and the Charity Shield and the championship with Jong PSV.
“He has never received such a reaction from the football world. Obviously that caused this reaction and I was just happy with that.
“To engage in conversations with different parties and get into a position that feels really good to me. I'm here now.”
Welcome, Ruud van Nistelrooy 🦊 💙 pic.twitter.com/wHcwZc85eY
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 29, 2024
Van Nistelrooy: Results over style
Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Brentford leaves Leicester just a point above the relegation zone and Van Nistelrooy insists finding the results that lead to safety will be more important than implementing an attractive style of play.
The 48-year-old said: “I think about one thing before every game I'm preparing for and that's winning. When you're playing top teams in the Premier League, mid-table teams or lower-ranked teams, it sometimes requires a different approach.
The style of play is tailored to: “How can we win here?” I'm not the romantic type of manager who puts style before results.
“I like the style, I like to have the ball, I like to create a lot of chances, to press the team high, because you have more of the ball, but here we are facing opponents and we are not a dominant side in this league. We approach every game in this league with a win.”
Talk by Enzo Maresca
Van Nistelrooy said he had spoken to Chelsea manager and former team-mate Enzo Maresca about taking the Foxes job after the Italian led the East Midlands side to the Championship last season.
He said: “When the first approach came I thought about the club, the players, the ground and the set-up. I was curious about the people who worked there.
“Enzo is a great friend and a teammate was one of the first to call. What better information could I get?
“When we played against each other when I was caretaker manager (at Manchester United) against Chelsea, we talked for half an hour even though I didn't know about Leicester at the time.
“He was very positive then, and it only got better when I spoke to him again. He was absolutely right from the first impressions I got.”
Leicester's plans for the transfer window
Van Nistelrooy said he is “open-minded” about how Leicester approach the January transfer market with just six games until the window opens.
“It was a talking point,” he said. “The two conversations I had were very open and clear. It was important for me to know how things are in the near future, but also in the longer term.
“January was discussed, but the current squad was also discussed. The most important thing for me is to get an assessment of the players in the coming weeks until January and give each player a chance.
“Also, the staff members who remain, I work alongside the people who are still at the club. I am looking to bring in more people, but I also want to work with them. Then we can decide from there.”
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