The new Ruud! Man Utd have found new star attacker

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 20 Oct 2024 05:43 CDT
4 min read

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund was full of praise for Ruud van Nistelrooy after the club's win over Brentford.

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The Denmark international scored his first Premier League goal of the season as the Red Devils earned three points at Old Trafford.

Ethan Pinnock opened the scoring for Brentford but United responded with two moments of brilliance in the second half. Alejandro Garnacho levelled and Bruno Fernandes laid off Hojlund for the winner. And the striker put it down to working with the assistant coach and a United legend.

“Working very close with Ruud van Nistelrooy is a big step for me. He is doing a great job," he said. “I'm trying to bring everything I can every time I step on the pitch, especially here at Old Trafford”.

Van Nistelrooy joined as Ten Hag's assistant in the summer along with Rene Hake, as Ineos looked to shape up the side.

Current ETV

Rasmus Højlund

F (C)

Man Utd

Rasmus Højlund

F (C)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€42.7M - €71.2M

The Dutchman's arrival stoked the pre-season optimism that emerged after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's partial takeover. As for Hojlund, he has shown flashes of his ability during his first season at Old Trafford following his €73.9 million transfer from Atalanta, but ultimately was too inconsistent.

Ten Hag's future at United was uncertain last week but the win over Brentford has bought him a degree of time. It's thought that his compatriot Van Nistelrooy would be next in line to take over at least on an interim basis and FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that the former striker is expected to take the reins by 2026.

Van Nistelrooy still backs Ten Hag

The club legend has impressed the new Ineos hierarchy at Old Trafford, but Van Nistelrooy is not yet eyeing up Ten Hag's managerial role, according to Ben Jacobs.

The 48-year-old still backs Ten Hag and is seen as one of the Dutchman's most important allies at the club. Jacobs also claimed last week that the chances of Van Nistelrooy taking charge at Man Utd on more than just an interim basis are slim, with club chiefs preferring a more experienced manager.

The report further plays down suggestions that Ten Hag has been explicitly told that his next two games could be his last if results and performances don't improve. Claims that the players want Ten Hag gone are also dismissed.

It is true that Van Nistelrooy is a popular figure in the dressing room, acting as a link between Ten Hag and the squad, but the Dutchman is remaining loyal to the manager and is solely focused on his work as assistant.