Ruud van Nistelrooy set for Manchester United reunion during instant managerial return in England

Ruud van Nistelrooy is being eyed for an immediate return to management following his exit from Manchester United earlier this week.

Ruud van Nistelrooy departed Manchester United earlier this week after just five months of employment due to the arrival of Rúben Amorim as their new head coach.

The former Dutch striker joined the club in July as part of a complete overhaul of Erik ten Hag‘s coaching staff but found his future in grave doubt following Ten Hag’s sacking last month.

Read More: Manchester United star will become “best in the world” under Rúben Amorim, says Edwin van der Sar

Van Nistelrooy took charge of United’s first-team squad for four games, defeating Leicester City twice and winning over PAOK. A Premier League draw against Chelsea was also mixed within these victories.

However, upon Amorim’s arrival, the club confirmed on Monday that Van Nistelrooy and three others within the backroom staff would leave the club.

An immediate return for Ruud

When Van Nistelrooy accepted United’s offer, many were surprised. The 48-year-old was attracting interest as a first-team manager following his stint at PSV.

According to The Sun, one of these clubs is now back in the running, with Championship ide Burnley once again interested in retaining his services.

The Northern club appointed Scott Parker in the summer, but the report states that the club feel they are “heading in the wrong direction” under the Englishman despite sitting fourth in the country’s second division.

Burnley’s owner, Alan Pace, is said to be well-known for giving managers time. However, with Van Nistelrooy’s stock only rising following his successful stint at United, they may look to act soon before he’s snapped up elsewhere.

A United reunion

Should Burnley offer Van Nistelrooy the job and he accepts, he will be reunited with a Manchester United man he worked with just months prior.

United sold Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri to Burnley for a fee of  £5.4 million, with the potential to rise to £9.4 million with add-ons, during August of this year. Still, the pair worked together during the 2024 pre-season at United.

Hannibal has since made ten appearances in the Championship and one in the Carabao Cup, starting eight of these fixtures.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.