Ruud van Nistelrooy is privately 'gutted' to have left Manchester United following Ruben Amorim's arrival, according to a close friend.
The Dutchman's exit from Old Trafford was confirmed earlier this week following a positive interim spell, in which he won three of his four games in charge after replacing Erik ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy was never under consideration for the permanent role, though, and the Man United hierarchy moved fast to prise the 39-year-old Amorim away from Sporting Lisbon.
Amorim's coaching team at the Theatre of Dreams was announced on Saturday, but there was no room in his Man United setup for Van Nistelrooy, who is now searching for his next role in coaching.
The former Red Devils striker released a heartfelt statement upon leaving the club, affirming that it had been a "a privilege and honour" to step into the role of first-team manager on a temporary basis.
Van Nistelrooy friend claims Dutchman wanted to stay at Old Trafford
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However, according to ex-Blackburn Rovers and Netherlands defender Andre Ooijer - who shares a close relationship with Van Nistelrooy - the 48-year-old was keen to keep working at Man United and turned down other roles in the hope of remaining at Old Trafford.
"Ruud wanted to stay as assistant. He would have said something if he wasn't interested in working with Amorim," The Mirror quotes Ooijer as saying.
"Ruud has had the chance to be manager or head coach at other clubs, but he deliberately did not take those jobs because he wanted to work at the club he loves most. Don't forget Ruud did really well at United, a draw against Chelsea and victories in the other three matches."
Ooijer also made the bold prediction that Man United fans could begin chanting for Van Nistelrooy to return to the hotseat if Amorim struggles to make an immediate impact, adding: "You could tell the fans liked him so much.
"You only had to watch how they reacted to him after his last match. He did so well under difficult circumstances. He has stayed unbeaten as a manager. If Amorim does not get the right results in the first few games, the crowd could start calling again for Ruud."
What next for Van Nistelrooy after Man United exit?
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Van Nistelrooy supposedly feels that he has the managerial qualities necessary to take on another Premier League role after leaving Man United, and it would not be surprising to see a few jobs become available in the near future.
West Ham United's Julen Lopetegui and Southampton's Russell Martin are both under massive pressure, while the futures of Sean Dyche (Everton) and Gary O'Neil (Wolverhampton Wanderers) are not secure either.
However, it has been reported that Van Nistelrooy has instead applied to become the new Coventry City manager, as the Championship side sacked Mark Robins earlier this month.
Before returning to the Theatre of Dreams in the summer, Van Nistelrooy managed PSV Eindhoven for one season in 2022-23, winning a KNVB-Beker and Dutch Super Cup double with the Eredivisie giants.
Amorim's first match at the Man United helm comes away to Ipswich Town on November 24, but the Portuguese has been handed a fresh injury blow ahead of the trip to Portman Road.
Ben Knapton
