Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that 'it was not a difficult decision' to move Ruud van Nistelrooy on after arriving at Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy is one of the most prolific strikers in Man United's history, scoring 150 goals in 129 appearances for the club between 2001 and 2006, and he then returned to the Red Devils as an assistant manager last summer.
The Dutchman took charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis at the end of October following the departure of Erik ten Hag, and he guided the team to three wins and one draws from their four matches under his leadership.
Van Nistelrooy consistently spoke of his desire to remain at Man United under Amorim, with the Dutchman keen to help the new head coach, but the decision was made for him to leave.
The 48-year-old was appointed Leicester City head coach at the end of November, and he will bring his side to Old Trafford in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night.
When asked whether it was a tough decision to overlook Van Nistelrooy, Amorim insisted that the right call was "so clear", as he did not want to disrespect his current staff or the club's legendary former player.
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Amorim insists Van Nistelrooy departure was the right decision
"It was not a difficult situation, because it was so clear for me. I just had to explain. I think it's really simple, and he understands. He's a man of football. He understands this situation," Amorim told reporters during his press conference on Thursday.
"Then I have my team and my staff, and I could keep Ruud, because it was a good thing for me, a popular thing to do. But then I will not put Ruud in front of my guys, no matter what. And then I had to put like a person like Ruud in the end of the hierarchy of my staff.
"And I think that was not fair for Ruud and to show respect to Ruud, I was really clear with him and I explained that I have my team, I will continue the same way. I will not put a guy like Ruud, a legend of this club, in the end of the hierarchy in the staff. So it was the clear decision. It was really simple to explain and he took it like a class guy, like he is.
"The most important thing to have as a coach is a staff that understands the way you want to play, the standards that you have. When I say standards, I'm not saying Ruud doesn't have this. He was a legend in this club. He knows what it takes to win, but I prefer to work with the team that brought me here.
"It's clear that that is important for me to understand my ideas, to explain the same thing to the players. So it was that decision. And I'm really comfortable and confident that I know how to win, no matter the club. Of course we are losing, in these moments you need experienced guys. But I'm not lost, or feeling a lack of something in the staff. We just need to improve as a team."
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How has Van Nistelrooy performed at Leicester?
Van Nistelrooy has a record of three wins, one draw and eight defeats from his 12 matches since taking charge of Leicester at the end of November, with the 48-year-old having a 25% win rate in his first permanent managerial role in English football.
Leicester's standout result under Van Nistelrooy came at the end of last month, when they recorded a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, but they will enter Friday's FA Cup clash off the back of a 4-0 defeat at Everton.
The Foxes were 6-2 winners over Queens Park Rangers in the third round of the FA Cup, and they have been victorious in four of their last five matches in the competition.
Matt Law
