Leicester City have confirmed the appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new head coach on a three-year contract.
The Dutchman has committed to the Foxes until the summer of 2027 following the sacking of Steve Cooper, who was given the boot in the wake of last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Chelsea.
Van Nistelrooy takes over at the King Power Stadium with Leicester occupying 16th place in the Premier League table, just one point clear of the relegation zone as they endeavour to avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
Despite not been kept on at Manchester United when Ruben Amorim touched down at Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy has quickly landed his first permanent job in the Premier League and second major role after taking charge of PSV Eindhoven.
The 48-year-old will not take charge of Leicester for Saturday's showdown with Brentford, but he will begin working with the squad on Sunday, and his first match comes at home to West Ham United on Tuesday.
Van Nistelrooy "proud" and "excited" to take charge of Leicester
🦊 📸 pic.twitter.com/aM8zotqRBI
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 29, 2024
Speaking to the official Leicester website after his appointment was confirmed, Van Nistelrooy said: "I'm proud, I'm excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic.
"They have great stories about the quality of the people working at the Club, the supporters and, of course, the recent history of the Club is impressive. I'm excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the Football Club."
Meanwhile, club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha added: "It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City. He joins a Club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together.
"Ruud's experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our Club."
As Van Nistelrooy observes Saturday's game against Brentford from a distance, Ben Dawson, Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes will oversee Leicester's clash with the Bees this weekend.
A closer look at Van Nistelrooy's managerial record
© Imago
Following a distinguished playing career as a prolific striker for Manchester United, Real Madrid, the Netherlands and others, Van Nistelrooy began his coaching career as an assistant to both Guus Hiddink and Danny Blind in the Dutch setup from 2014 to 2016.
The 48-year-old subsequently returned to former club PSV Eindhoven, initially as an attacking coach before heading up their Under-18s, Under-19s and Under-21s, briefly mixing his domestic duties with another stint as Netherlands assistant from 2020 to 2021.
Van Nistelrooy landed his first permanent senior role with PSV for the 2022-23 campaign, winning two trophies in the shape of the KNVB-Beker and Dutch Super Cup and earning 34 victories from 50 matches, including a 2-0 Europa League triumph over Arsenal.
After resigning from his PSV post and taking a year out, Van Nistelrooy became Erik ten Hag's right-hand man at Man United this summer and subsequently stepped in for four games after his superior was relieved of his duties.
The former striker steadied the ship at Old Trafford with three wins and a draw from his four games in all competitions, including two beatings of new employers Leicester in the Premier League and EFL Cup.
