Ruud van Nistelrooy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij
Date of birth	(1976-07-01) 1 July 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Oss, Netherlands
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Leicester City (manager)
Youth career
1981–1990	Nooit Gedacht
1990–1991	RKSV Margriet
1991–1993	Den Bosch
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993–1997	Den Bosch	69	(17)
1997–1998	Heerenveen	31	(13)
1998–2001	PSV Eindhoven	67	(62)
2001–2006	Manchester United	150	(95)
2006–2010	Real Madrid	68	(46)
2010–2011	Hamburger SV	36	(12)
2011–2012	Málaga	28	(4)
Total		449	(249)
National team
1997–1998	Netherlands U21	4	(0)
1998–2011	Netherlands	70	(35)
Teams managed
2021–2022	Jong PSV
2022–2023	PSV Eindhoven
2024	Manchester United (caretaker)
2024–	Leicester City
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ruud van Nistelrooy (born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch football manager and former player. He is known as one of the best strikers of his time. A striker is a player whose main job is to score goals.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League three times. This is Europe's biggest club competition. He is also the sixth-highest goalscorer in its history with 56 goals. He was also the top scorer in three different European leagues. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

He started his career in the Netherlands with Den Bosch and Heerenveen. He became famous at PSV Eindhoven, winning two league titles. His amazing goal-scoring led to a move to Manchester United in 2001. There, he won the Premier League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, and FA Community Shield. He scored 150 goals in 219 games for United.

In 2006, he joined Real Madrid in Spain. He won La Liga twice and the Supercopa de España. He later played for Hamburger SV in Germany and Málaga in Spain. He retired from playing in 2012.

For his country, Ruud van Nistelrooy played 70 times for the Netherlands. He scored 35 goals. He played in the Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, and Euro 2008 tournaments.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Out in the Netherlands

Ruud van Nistelrooy was born in Oss, Netherlands. He began his football journey in 1993 at age 17 with Den Bosch. He started as a midfielder but became a centre-forward, a player who plays in the middle of the attack.

After scoring 12 goals in one season, he moved to Heerenveen. He scored 13 goals in his only year there.

Success at PSV Eindhoven

In 1998, PSV Eindhoven signed him for a record fee between Dutch teams. He quickly became a star, scoring 31 goals in 34 games in his first season. This made him the top scorer in the Eredivisie, the Dutch league. He also scored three goals in a UEFA Champions League match. He was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year. The next season, he scored 29 goals, winning the scoring title again.

In 2000, he was set to join Manchester United. However, the transfer was delayed due to a knee injury. He then suffered a serious knee ligament injury, which kept him out for a year.

Joining Manchester United

A year later, in 2001, Van Nistelrooy finally joined Manchester United. He signed a five-year contract for £19 million. He felt confident about the big transfer fee. The manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was very keen to sign him.

First Season: 2001–02

He scored on his debut in the Charity Shield. In his first Premier League game, he scored two goals. He also scored his first UEFA Champions League goals.

In December, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick. A hat-trick is when a player scores three goals in one game. He scored 23 goals in 32 league games that season. He also scored ten Champions League goals. He was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year, an award voted by other players.

Winning the League: 2002–03

The next season, he was the top scorer in the Premier League with 25 goals. He won the Golden Boot award. He scored three hat-tricks that season. He also scored in the last eight games as United won the league title. He was named the Premier League Player of the Season. He scored 12 Champions League goals in nine straight matches. UEFA named him the best striker in Europe.

FA Cup Glory: 2003–04

Van Nistelrooy (left) playing for Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur in 2004

He started the 2003–04 season by scoring in 10 straight league games. This was a Premier League record at the time. In a famous match against Arsenal, he missed a penalty. This led to a big argument between players from both teams.

He scored his 100th goal for Manchester United in February 2004. In the FA Cup, he scored twice in the Manchester derby. He also scored twice in the quarter-final. He scored two more goals in the final as United won the FA Cup.

Injuries and More Goals: 2004–05

Van Nistelrooy missed much of the 2004–05 season due to injury. But he still scored eight goals in the Champions League. One of these was his 30th European goal for the club. This broke Denis Law's record.

In October, he scored a penalty against Arsenal. This helped United win 2–0 and end Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run. He scored all four goals in a 4–1 win against Sparta Prague.

Final Season at United: 2005–06

Van Nistelrooy in United colours against Chelsea

He scored in United's first four league games of the 2005–06 season. He finished with 21 league goals. He was left out of the League Cup Final squad. This led to talk of problems with manager Alex Ferguson. He later had a disagreement with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Nistelrooy apologized for his actions.

He left Manchester United in July 2006. He scored 150 goals in 219 games for the club. He is also the club's second all-time European goalscorer.

Moving to Real Madrid

Van Nistelrooy playing for Real Madrid during a league game to Villarreal

On 28 July 2006, Ruud van Nistelrooy signed a three-year contract with Real Madrid in Spain. He cost €14 million.

He scored a hat-trick in his second league match. In November 2006, he scored all four of Real Madrid's goals in a 4–1 win. He played alongside Ronaldo, who he called the best player he ever played with. Van Nistelrooy won the Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer with 25 goals. Real Madrid won the league title. He also equalled a record by scoring in seven straight league matches.

In January 2008, he extended his contract until 2010. He had ankle surgery in March. He finished the season with 20 goals.

In November 2008, he had another knee injury. This kept him out for most of the 2008–09 season. He returned in August 2009, scoring a goal and assisting another. However, he soon picked up a thigh injury.

Time in Germany and Spain

On 23 January 2010, Van Nistelrooy joined German club Hamburger SV. He scored his first two goals for Hamburg in February 2010. He also scored his first UEFA Europa League goal for them.

In August 2010, he scored a hat-trick in a cup game. He scored two goals in Hamburg's first league game of the season. He was linked with a return to Real Madrid, but Hamburg kept him. He suffered a calf injury in April 2011. He scored seven goals in 25 appearances in his full season with Hamburg.

On 1 June 2011, Van Nistelrooy returned to Spain. He signed a one-year deal with Málaga. He was welcomed by 15,000 fans at his presentation. He scored his first goal for Málaga in October 2011. He scored two more league goals later in the season.

On 14 May 2012, Ruud van Nistelrooy announced his retirement from football at age 35. He said Málaga would be his last club.

International Career

Van Nistelrooy with the Netherlands during the 2006 World Cup

Ruud van Nistelrooy played 70 times for the Netherlands. He scored 35 goals. He made his debut in November 1998. However, his knee injury meant he missed Euro 2000.

The Netherlands did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup. In 2003, he scored a hat-trick against Scotland. This helped the Netherlands qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. At Euro 2004, he scored in all three group games.

He was part of the squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored one goal against the Ivory Coast. He was later benched by the coach, Marco van Basten.

Van Nistelrooy (front) with Robin van Persie in 2008

In January 2007, he announced his retirement from international football. This was due to disagreements with Van Basten. But after talking with goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, he returned to the team. In September, he scored in a 2–0 win against Bulgaria. He also scored the winning goal against Albania.

At UEFA Euro 2008, he scored against Italy in a 3–0 win. He also scored the equaliser against Russia in the quarter-finals. He announced his international retirement again in August.

He made himself available for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was not picked. In 2010, he was recalled for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. He scored in a 5–0 win against San Marino. In March 2011, he was recalled again due to injuries to other strikers. He came off the bench to score his 35th international goal.

Playing Style

Ruud van Nistelrooy was a very good goalscorer. He was known for being clinical and taking his chances. He was great at finishing with both feet and his head. He was also good at finding space in the penalty area. He could time his runs to get away from defenders. People sometimes called him a "poacher" because he was always in the right place to score.

He was a strong and fast player. He had good technical skills. He could hold the ball up and pass to his teammates. He was also a very accurate penalty taker.

Coaching Career

Working with PSV Youth Teams

In June 2013, Van Nistelrooy started coaching at PSV Eindhoven. He worked with the under-17 team. In 2016, he became the striker coach for the under-17s, under-19s, and reserve team.

In June 2018, he became the manager of the PSV under-19s. In December 2019, he also joined the Netherlands national team staff as an assistant manager.

Managing PSV's First Team

In March 2022, Van Nistelrooy was appointed head coach of PSV's senior team. He signed a three-year contract. He won the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2022–23 KNVB Cup. He resigned in May 2023, before the end of the season.

Coaching at Manchester United

On 11 July 2024, Van Nistelrooy became an assistant coach for Manchester United. He signed a two-year contract. After the manager was sacked, he became the interim head coach in October. In his first game, Manchester United won 5–2. He led the team to their first European win in over a year. He left the club when a new head coach arrived. He had three wins and one draw in four matches as interim manager.

Managing Leicester City

On 29 November 2024, Van Nistelrooy was appointed manager of Leicester City. He signed a contract until June 2027. On 3 December 2024, he got his first Premier League win as a manager. Leicester City won 3–1 against West Ham United.

Life Outside Football

Personal Life

Ruud van Nistelrooy married Leontien Slaats in July 2004. They have a daughter and a son. He is a Roman Catholic.

Charity Work

Van Nistelrooy and his wife are involved with SOS Children's Villages. This charity helps protect the interests and rights of children. He became a "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" Ambassador in 2001. In 2009, he and his wife hosted an event to help the charity.

Endorsements

Van Nistelrooy was sponsored by the sportswear company Nike. He appeared in their commercials. He was in a famous Nike ad called "Secret Tournament" before the 2002 World Cup. He appeared with other famous players like Thierry Henry and Ronaldo.

Media Career

During the 2014 World Cup, Van Nistelrooy worked as a TV analyst for ESPN.

Managerial Statistics

Trophies and Awards

As a Player

PSV

• Eredivisie: 1999–2000, 2000–01
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 1998

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2002–03
• FA Cup: 2003–04
• Football League Cup: 2005–06
• FA Community Shield: 2003

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08
• Supercopa de España: 2008

As a Manager

PSV

• KNVB Cup: 2022–23
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2022

Individual Awards

• Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Eredivisie top goalscorer: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Premier League Player of the Month: December 2001, February 2002, April 2003
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2001–02, 2002–03
• UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05
• FA Cup top goalscorer: 2002–03, 2003–04
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2001–02
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2002–03
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2002–03
• UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2002–03
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2003
• FIFA 100
• UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2004
• Pichichi Trophy: 2006–07

Images for kids

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  Van Nistelrooy signing autographs in 2007

See also

In Spanish: Ruud van Nistelrooy para niños