A number of former Manchester United players have turned to management after working under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
The most recent addition to that crop is Tom Cleverley, who has become the new Watford manager after a period in caretaker charge.
Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskajer are just some of the names to move into management since playing under Ferguson.
Solskjaer even became United boss, reaching a Europa League final back in 2021.
The success rate of Ferguson’s former players is fairly mixed but one former United star is now desperate to make a return to management.
Ruud van Nistelrooy comments on job hunt
Patience is a virtue but also a rare currency in football.
When Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 2000 move to United was postpone and then cancelled, the striker endured the horror of a major knee injury.
United could have moved on but Ferguson was still convinced by him and went ahead with a 2001 deal after Van Nistelrooy passed a medical.
Van Nistelrooy went on to become a goalscoring phenomenon at Old Trafford, smashing 150 goals in 219 games as that patience was rewarded.
The Dutchman left under something of a cloud in 2006 but after turning out for Real Madrid, Hamburg and Malaga, he has become a manager.
Van Nistelrooy took charge of PSV Eindhoven last season, losing just eight of his 51 games in charge before resigning a year ago.
Now keen to get back into work, Van Nistelrooy has been heavily linked with a move to Club Brugge but is still waiting for his next opportunity.
Van Nistelrooy has now told The Mirror (12/05, p63) that he has been working with former United man Peter Kenyon to help him in the job market.
Kenyon will be taking a deep look into the structure of any club who fancies appointing Van Nistelrooy, attempting to find the absolute best club for him and his managerial future.
“I know Peter Kenyon from my playing days at United. He is now 70 and an independent consultant. This man has a wealth of experience, a network, a frame of reference,” said Van Nistelrooy. “I have asked if he would review the organisation of (interested) clubs for me. It is super important to get as complete a picture as possible. I’m really looking for the right step,” he added.
Peter Kenyon’s feud with Sir Alex Ferguson
Kenyon had been the chief executive of Umbro before becoming deputy chief executive at United in 1997.
Kenyon became United’s chief executive in 2000 but he caused controversy by joining Chelsea in 2003, turning his back on his boyhood club.
Ferguson’s relationship with Kenyon was strained at best, with the Scot slamming Kenyon for failing to bring Ronaldinho to United.
Ronaldinho ended up at Barcelona instead and Ferguson felt that Kenyon ‘didn’t get the job done’.
Kenyon left for Chelsea just months later and the bad blood continued with Ferguson threatening an official complaint when Kenyon met up with Rio Ferdinand, suspecting him of attempting to tap up the then-United defender.
Ferguson later suggested that Kenyon was out of his depth at United and suggested that he ‘definitely’ wasn’t a loss to the United operation.
Kenyon went on to spend six years at Chelsea and hasn’t held a similar role in football since.
Kenyon has moved over to Formula One, joining the Williams Racing team earlier this year.
Van Nistelrooy clearly doesn’t harbour such feelings about Kenyon and the former United duo are now teaming up to try and bring the ex-striker back into management sooner rather than later.
