Ruud van Nistelrooy appointed Leicester manager

Leicester have appointed former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager.

The Dutchman has been confirmed as Steve Cooper’s replacement, signing a deal until 2027 at the King Power Stadium following the Welshman’s sacking last weekend.

Van Nistelrooy said: “I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic.

“They have great stories about the quality of the people working at the club, the supporters and, of course, the recent history of the club is impressive.

“I’m excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the football club.”

Van Nistelrooy has only been out of work a couple of weeks after leaving United following a four-game spell as interim manager, taking the reins after Erik ten Hag’s exit, having joined in the summer as a coach.

Two of those games were wins over Leicester in the Carabao Cup and Premier League and the Foxes hierarchy were impressed enough to give him the job.

They looked at a number of candidates, with Graham Potter and David Moyes linked to the post, but the experienced pair were never under serious consideration.

Instead the club went for the 48-year-old Van Nistelrooy, who takes up his second first-team managerial position, having previously been in charge of Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23, guiding them to the KNVB Cup.

Van Nistelrooy will take on a watching brief for Saturday’s trip to Brentford, with first-team coach Ben Dawson having led training all week, but will be in charge for Tuesday’s home clash against West Ham.

He will be unveiled at a press conference on Monday.

Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha added: “It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City.

“He joins a club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together.

“Ruud’s experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club.”

Cooper was removed from his position after only 12 games in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Although they are out of the relegation zone, Leicester did not believe the former Nottingham Forest manager represented their best chance of staying in the division.

There were concerns over poor performances, reports of player friction and a lack of connection with supporters.