Ruud van Nistelrooy may have been a ruthless competitor on the pitch, but he was equally compassionate off of it.
Van Nistelrooy joined Manchester United in 2001 from PSV Eindhoven and wasted little time making his mark, scoring 36 goals across all competitions in his first season.
He went on to make over 200 appearances for United and scored 150 goals, cementing himself as one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League.
The 48-year-old left United in 2006 to join Real Madrid but returned in the summer and joined Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff as an assistant.
However, Ten Hag was relieved of his duties on Monday after a dismal start to the season and Van Nistelrooy was promoted to interim head coach until Ruben Amorim takes over on November 11.
Although Van Nistelrooy’s appointment is temporary, one man who loved what he saw on Wednesday is someone who highly admires the Dutchman due to a kind act during his childhood.
Towards the end of the striker’s stint at Old Trafford, United lost one of their greatest-ever players George Best, who died in 2005 from a lung infection and multiple organ failure aged 59.
It rocked the Red Devils fanbase to its core as supporters and players past and present paid tribute to the Northern Irishman.
The legend’s untimely passing was also an incredibly difficult ordeal for Best’s son, Calum.
Calum was in his mid-20s when he lost his father and it hit him hard.
But in an exclusive interview on talkSPORT’s The Kickback with Shebahn Aherne and Ruesha Littlejohn, Calum revealed how Van Nistelrooy helped him through one of the toughest days in his life.
“I love the idea of [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy,” Best said, before Amorim’s appointment was confirmed.
“I think he’s genius. I watched the game [against Leicester] and I thought to myself what a great person to have! Who knows if he’ll stay but I thought to myself there’s a good look.
“Random story I remember, this is a bit tragic but I’ll tell you anyway because it’s it’s a bit relevant. When my old man passed, I was all over the place I remember I was drinking whiskey before this memorial, I was pretty lost at the time and I remember Ruud coming up out of all the people and he sat there and looked at me.
“And I could feel his sincerity as he was asking how I was doing. So I’ve always had a soft spot for him and I liked to see him on the touchline.”
Calum, now 43, still attends United games at Old Trafford and sits in the director’s box.
He is also the chairman of Dorking Wanderers’ women’s team and is working overtime in his bid to help the club climb the English pyramid.
As for Van Nistelrooy, he faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford given incoming boss Amorim will bring five coaches with him.
Van Nistelrooy won his first game in charge as United thrashed Leicester City 5-2 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and he now faces a monumental challenge on Sunday when Chelsea visit Old Trafford.
If he doesn’t stay at United, perhaps Best could reach out to the Red Devils great for some guest appearances at Dorking’s training sessions… over to you Marc White!
