Man Utd stars have clear opinion on Ruud van Nistelrooy leaving as coach set to walk away

Ruud van Nistelrooy will be sorely missed by certain members of the Manchester United squad if rumours of his imminent exit prove to be true.

The Dutchman was appointed interim United boss on Monday after it was confirmed compatriot Erik ten Hag had been sacked as manager. However, reports indicate the Old Trafford icon will leave the club after Sporting CP confirmed United intend to trigger Ruben Amorim's £8.4million release clause and appoint him as their new coach.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, has only been back at his former stomping ground for a matter of months after arriving in the summer to fill in as Ten Hag's No2. However, it didn't take long for players to gravitate towards the great as he began to nurture the new generation of United talent. Considering some of the players' comments on Van Nistelrooy, it's clear the squad think United will be losing a top-drawer coach if he ends up departing as expected.

Striker Rasmus Hojlund underlined Van Nistelrooy's input after bagging a match-deciding goal against Brentford earlier in October: "Everybody's asking me this question. 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 sort of things. 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."

Fans were expecting the former United and Real Madrid hitman to have a major impact on his old team's forwards after returning to the Theatre of Dreams. However, Jonny Evans confirmed in pre-season that his old mentor was making a difference by imbuing knowledge to defenders on how best to pacify opposition attackers.

"It's always good to freshen up. Ruud coming back has been great, especially for myself," said the Northern Irishman. "I grew up sort of idolising Ruud and the way he used to play. I got a little bit of chance when I was in the youth team, to see him play."

Reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton was also forthcoming with praise in the summer and said: "Me and Ruud spent a bit of time together [when Van Nistelrooy was a player at United]. I was always his preferred keeper for shooting practice. He's been absolutely brilliant since he joined, and his attention to detail is exceptional.

"You could be mistaken for thinking he's just a United legend coming in as a figurehead. But his meticulousness - and I've attended a few meetings where I've heard him speak - has been remarkable."

And it's not just the current stars of the squad benefiting from his wisdom, either, as certain prospects may also be sad to see him go. One of those is Joe Hugill, who spent just a short time with Van Nistelrooy before being loaned to Wigan in the summer - though it was enough to witness his value.

"We've been doing a few shooting drills and he's been giving me a few tips," he said in July. "It's massive having Ruud here, especially for people like myself, young and coming up, to have him in the building, even to ask questions, is massive."

Amorim's appointment will likely signal the arrival of new coaching staff as the 39-year-old takes up his first post outside Portugal. However, certain fans may not be the only ones wishing Van Nistelrooy's return didn't have to be cut short.

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