Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has revealed his true feelings on Erik ten Hag’s assistant manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
It was a slow start to the season for the Dane, who was unable to play at the start of the campaign due to incurring a hamstring injury during the pre-season.
He only returned to training last month, ahead of Man United’s frustrating goalless draw with Crystal Palace.
Despite his early season setback, the 21 year old has since burst back onto the scene, scoring the winner in a thrilling 2-1 win over Brentford this past weekend.
As he seeks to continue his rediscovered form, Hojlund revealed that he has benefitted from some crucial advice courtesy of Van Nistelrooy, formerly United’s star striker.
“Everybody’s asking me this question,” Hojlund commented when asked about Van Nistelrooy’s influence. “”He’s helping us every day, but he’s also helping the defence and the midfield.”
“He’s a very good assistant coach, but obviously, he’s a great striker. You’re trying to learn everything about him and all these sorts of things,” the Dane continued.
“I haven’t had that long time to learn from him yet because I haven’t been back for a little more than a month or so. But obviously, he’s given me a lot of good advice.” Hojlund concluded.
While Van Nistelrooy is fondly remembered for his years as a striker at Old Trafford before his retirement, the former Dutch international has also been lauded for his efforts as an assistant coach since being added to Ten Hag’s team this summer.
Marcus Rashford reportedly received one-on-one sessions with Van Nistelrooy aimed at improving his finishing, and given his turnaround in form, these clearly worked.
What’s more, rumours have been mounting that Van Nistelrooy could take over from Ten Hag as United’s next manager.
United legend Dwight Yorke claimed that Van Nistelrooy may have been lured to United by Ineos to become Ten Hag’s replacement in the first place.
This doesn’t appear to be a far-fetched assumption, given that ESPN reported that there is a reasonable expectation for Van Nistelrooy to take over from Ten Hag.
While Ten Hag enjoyed a defiant victory over Brentford, one strong performance will not be enough to convince his critics that he is suited to continue as United manager. Time will tell whether Van Nistelrooy’s coaching qualities will be taken into consideration if Ineos decides to part ways with his countryman.
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