Ruud van Nistelrooy appointed as Leicester City manager

Former Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as the new manager of Leicester City, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, has signed a contract until the end of the 2027 season and succeeds Steve Cooper as Leicester boss after the English coach was sacked on Sunday, a day after their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester confirmed that Van Nistelrooy will attend the team's match against Brentford on Saturday and will officially start in his new role the following day. First team coach Ben Dawson will take charge of the side at the weekend.

"I'm proud, I'm excited," Van Nistelrooy said in a statement. "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."

Van Nistelrooy's first game in charge will be against West Ham on Tuesday.

"It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City," chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said. "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."

The former Netherlands forward joined United's coaching staff in July as an assistant to compatriot Erik ten Hag. After Ten Hag was sacked last month, Van Nistelrooy took charge on an interim basis and had three wins and a draw in his four games at the helm before Ruben Amorim was hired as Ten Hag's full-time replacement.

Coincidentally, Van Nistelrooy's short tenure at Old Trafford included two wins over his new team -- a 5-2 thrashing of a weakened Leicester side in the Carabao Cup and a 3-0 win in the Premier League.

The Leicester job is Van Nistelrooy's second senior full-time managerial role, having led PSV Eindhoven for almost a season where he won the Dutch Cup before quitting near the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Leicester are 16th in the Premier League, one point clear of the relegation zone.