Ruud van Nistelrooy is too good to be Ruben Amorim’s assistant and is ready to become a permanent manager once again.
This is the view of Paul Scholes, who has told his former Manchester United teammate to land a top job elsewhere instead of being a no.2 again.
The former striker is currently working as Man United‘s interim boss following the sacking of Erik ten Hag last month.
Coming in as Ten Hag’s assistant coach, Van Nistelrooy has won two games and drawn one since taking the job on a caretaker basis.
With Ruben Amorim set to take over as head coach next week, speculation continues to swirl around Van Nistelrooy’s future as he seeks a role in Amorim’s backroom team at Old Trafford.
But instead of waiting for his old job as assistant boss to arise, Man United legend Scholes – who played with Van Nistelrooy for five years at Old Trafford – believes that the former PSV Eindhoven boss would be selling himself short.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Scholes said: “He just looks like a manager – that passion is there and he even dresses like a manager.
“He just speaks well, doesn’t he?
“He’s nice and calm, relaxed and goes about his business really well and I’m pretty sure that he must have the bug back to be a manager.
“When you’ve done it and been successful like he was in Holland as well – going back to being an assistant must be quite difficult.
“I asked him about it before the game because there’s certain things that you’d want to do that you don’t agree with the manager and you can say it, but it doesn’t matter because the buck stops with the manager.
“I don’t know if he’s going to stay – it’ll be up to the new men and INEOS – but I think he should be a manager.
“His three games, he won the Dutch Cup, he won other things and he just looks like he’s made to be a manager.
“I don’t think he should be anybody’s – I don’t want to say a puppy, but I think he’s better than being an assistant manager – I think he should be managing a club.”
Scholes continued: “There’s a presence about him.
“He just looks like a manager and he looks like he’s got a really good way with his players – when they came off they were respectful of him and so it just feels right for Ruud to go on and become a manager.
“But if he wants to stay he’s got his contract for the next 18 months and if the powers that be still want him then why not.”
Van Nistelrooy will lead Man United for the last time on Sunday when they host Leicester in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
