Van Nistelrooy keen to return Man Utd assistant role under Amorim
Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim.
Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.
Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League.
The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day.
Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.
"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.
"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.
"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."
The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge.
During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%.
Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.
But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford.
"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.
"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.
"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.
"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."
And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high.
United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.
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Only moments after being denied a winner by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Lookman arrived unmarked at the far post to nod in a corner in the 87th minute to seal a hard-fought win.
With 34 points from 15 matches, Tullio Gritti's side are now two points clear of second-placed Napoli, who will play Lazio at home on Sunday.
Charles De Ketelaere scored against his former club to put Atalanta ahead in the 12th minute, rising highest to head home Marten de Roon's free-kick.
But Milan struck back 10 minutes later when Rafael Leao's cross into the box was turned home by Alvaro Morata for his fourth league goal of the season.
The second half was an evenly contested affair, with both sides creating several chances before Lookman struck the decisive blow to leave Paulo Fonseca's side seventh in the table.
Data Debrief: Atalanta's dream run continues
The win against the Rossoneri was Atalanta's ninth consecutive victory in Serie A this season, matching the club record set between February and July 2020.
They have also now scored at least two goals in each of their last 12 home games in Serie A, becoming the first team to do so after Juventus between November 2006 and January 2008.
Only Barcelona (48) have scored more than Atalanta's 38 goals in the five major European Leagues this season.
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Historic redemption: Dethroned Manning Cup champs Mona High secure Walker Cup triumph
Dethroned Manning Cup champions Mona High found solace and silverware on Friday, as they secured their first-ever ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup crown with a commanding 4-1 victory over Excelsior High in what turned out to be a lopsided final at the National Stadium.
The triumph, highlighted by Kshaine Gordon’s brace (52nd, 76th) and goals from Carlton Brown (34th) and Marlon Cunningham (55th), provided a fitting end to Mona’s campaign.
Technical Director Craig Butler, who announced his departure from schoolboy football, celebrated the victory as a testament to his team's resilience after their Manning Cup disappointment.
“I think it (time in schoolboy football) has been great; I think it is good for development, not just for Mona but the entire school system, as we sought more development versus recruiting for professionalism in the programme. So I am just proud and happy that I could have shared the time with Mona and that we have a team that is going to continue to develop good young footballers,” Butler said.
For Excelsior, who got their consolation from Damarley Williams (12th), the defeat marked another painful chapter in their Walker Cup history, extending their title drought, which dates back to 2008. Despite their energetic start, they faltered under pressure and failed to maintain their intensity or take advantage of critical moments.
Head coach Keon Broderick acknowledged that much.
“Defensive errors cost us dearly; when you make mistakes against a team with the quality in the attacking third like this Mona team, they will come back to haunt you,” Broderick said post-game.
After a lively start in which they displayed their attacking intent, Excelsior eventually opened the scoring when Williams unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box that slipped past Mona’s goalkeeper, Riquelme Edwards.
The Mountain View-based team maintained their attacking momentum, with Kimarly Scott and Shadeko Wizzard creating opportunities, but they squandered critical chances, failing to capitalize on Mona’s defensive lapses.
In the 25th, Kimarly Scott should have doubled Excelsior’s lead when he got behind defenders, but fired a rushed effort over the crossbar. Seconds later, Scott again got into a decent position from Shadeko Wizzard’s delightful pass, but somehow again fired over the crossbar.
Excelsior were later punished for their missed opportunities as they watched Mona seize control of the match during a passage of sustained pressure. Mona found the equalizer when Kshaine Gordon outwitted his marker to set up Brown, who calmly finished from inside the box.
Excelsior had another chance to reclaim the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Wizzard’s shot from a promising position sailed wide, leaving the teams locked at 1-1 at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to Mona, as Gordon’s relentless energy paid off seven minutes into the resumption when he pounced on a loose ball to fire home from close range to put his team 2-1 up.
Three minutes later, Cunningham extended the advantage as he rose above Excelsior’s defenders to head home a perfectly weighted corner from Denzel McKenzie.
Mona’s attacking intent continued as Gordon returned to haunt Excelsior in the 76th minute, converting a through ball from McKenzie with a low drive that slipped under goalkeeper Jamari Gordon to cap the win.