Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as the new manager of Leichester City, succeeding Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium.
The 48-year-old Dutchman previously had a brief stint as interim manager at Manchester United after Erik ten Hag’s departure, leaving the role once Ruben Amorim was named as his successor. Van Nistelrooy has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at Leichester until June 2027.
Despite his appointment, Van Nistelrooy will not oversee the Foxes’ upcoming match against Brentford on Saturday. Instead, his managerial debut for Leichester will take place on Tuesday night when the team faces West Ham at home.
Cooper was relieved of his duties following a defeat to Chelsea, which left Leichester at 16th place in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone.
During his time as interim manager at Old Tafford, Van Nistelrooy led Manchester United to two wins in four games, including victories against Leichester in both the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
Speaking about his new role, 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 brings prior managerial experience from his tenure at PSV Eindhoven, where he guided the team to a KNVB Cup victory in 2023. He also served as an assistant coach under Ten Hag at Manchester United and worked alongside Ronald Koeman with the Netherlands during Euro 2020.
Leicester face a challenging run of fixtures in the coming weeks, including games against Brighton, Newcastle, Wolves, Liverpool, and Manchester City, as they aim to climb the Premier League table.
Cooper, who succeeded Enzo Maeresca last summer after Maresca’s move to Chelsea, lasted just 12 league games in charge before Leichester’s owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, decided to make a managerial change.
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