Ruud van Nistelrooy breaks silence on Erik ten Hag axe by Man Utd - 'Mixed emotions'

Ruud van Nistelrooy has spoken for the first time since becoming Manchester United's interim boss as he takes charge of his first game against Leicester on Wednesday night

Ruud van Nistelrooy admits he has "mixed emotions" as Manchester United 's interim manager but is confident the club can turn their season around.

The Dutchman was hired as assistant manager in the summer but has stepped up to replace Erik ten Hag following his sacking on Monday. Van Nistelrooy will take charge of the Red Devils when they host Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Van Nistelrooy admits he was "saddened" to see Ten Hag lose his job but is determined to have as big an impact as possible during his temporary spell in charge. He will enjoy a run of home games as the helm with United facing Leicester, Chelsea and PAOK at Old Trafford over the next eight days.

The club's hierarchy are working on a deal to land Ruben Amorim as their next manager with negotiations ongoing with Sporting Lisbon.

Van Nistelrooy wrote in his programme notes: “As I am sure everyone can imagine, I am writing these notes with a huge amount of mixed emotions. Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.

“Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so. I can promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try to turn around our fortunes.

“Despite our results, I am loving being back at Old Trafford and working with the team and staff every day. We’ve seen the squad’s potential at times this season, but clearly not often enough.

“Now is the time for everyone at the club to work together, give everything and turn this season around while we have time. From my experiences as both a player and a coach here, I can say for sure that when players, staff and supporters pull together, Manchester United can be unstoppable."

United had been keen to iron out a deal with Amorim in a matter of days, but that could be complicated by his notice period in Portugal - which is a number of weeks, not days. It means that Van Nistelrooy, who was previously manager at PSV, could be in charge for several games.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.