Ruud van Nistelrooij wants to work as a trainer again. The Heeschenaar informed Omroep Brabant on Monday at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of his former club FC Den Bosch. The ex-coach of PSV, Manchester United and Leicester City is open to a role as head coach or as assistant coach at a club that prefers to be close to home.
A special book was written for the 60th anniversary of the club from the Brabant capital. Van Nistelrooij was invited to hand over the first book. “I tell everyone the story. Everyone wants to talk about Manchester United and Real Madrid, but I always tell them that I started at FC Den Bosch. This is the club where I have played for the longest.”
He gave the first book to Huub Brants, a volunteer who has been there for as long as the club has existed: “I also wanted to do that for him. He was my flagger in youth and gave us some points. He also often brought me home, because my parents could not always drive to training and competitions, so I am very grateful to him for that,” says From the Man
In any case, the 49-year-old likes to talk about the club where he took his first steps in professional football: “I always talk about Den Bosch. It was the foundation of my career.” He is therefore happy that the club is doing well sportingly: “The season I played here in the first team, we came last. Now things are going a lot better and you also notice that it is starting to come alive.”
New club?
The 49-year-old is currently without a job. After he was relegated from the Premier League with Leicester City last season, he was thrown out. Would he be open to a job at FC Den Bosch? “I never rule out FC Den Bosch. If we can find each other at a certain time, then you should certainly not rule that out. But at the moment that is not the case at all, because the technical staff is doing a great job.”
Still, he wants to get back to work. “I have been a trainer, but was also an assistant at Ten Hag in Manchester. I am open to both roles. If there is an opportunity to become an assistant, that is also a possibility.”
He does not yet know where Van Nistelrooij wants to become a trainer. “I’ve been away for a year. But it’s very nice to be home with your family. I have two children aged 19 and 17, who are now also making progress, so I want to be part of that too. If that can be combined, then that’s what I prefer.”
So it is certainly not inconceivable that we will see him working in the Netherlands again: “I don’t rule anything out, including the Eredivisie. If the ambitions match and it fits, then it’s good.”