'I’m open to Man Utd return if Ruud van Nistelrooy takes over – I want to help'

Former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen has spoken about his relationship with Ruud van Nistelrooy as manager Erik ten Hag continues to come under scrutiny

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has admitted he would be open to rejoining the club if Ruud van Nistelrooy was to step up as manager.

Following a poor start to the season, pressure has mounted on United boss Erik ten Hag, particularly after his side's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. It led to claims that Ten Hag had two games to save his job and the Red Devils did well to escape the first of those with a 3-3 draw after giving up a two-goal lead against Porto on Thursday. However, it has done little to ease the focus on the manager ahead of his side's clash with Aston Villa this Sunday.

Despite getting a one-year contract extension after lifting the FA Cup, the arrival of United icon Van Nistelrooy as Ten Hag's assistant before the start of the season cast an early cloud of uncertainty over his future. Former United coach Meulensteen worked under Sir Alex Ferguson for six seasons and admitted he would not turn down helping Van Nistelrooy if he got the top job at Old Trafford.

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"Ruud and I know each other really well because I worked with him and always stayed in touch," Meulensteen said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. "I rate him highly, I think he jumped the ship at PSV a little bit too soon, he was doing really well.

"I always feel if I jump into a job, I want to make sure that I'd be able to make a difference, not to make up the numbers. I also have to make sure not to kick myself because if I go back into Manchester United, I would walk back into something I probably wouldn't recognise.

"In those six years that I was the first team coach at Manchester United, I loved every minute of it," Meulensteen added. "I didn't feel any negative pressure any day when I was driving up to Carrington, and that was totally down to the man management of Sir Alex Ferguson and how much he trusted us with what we were doing.

"If Ruud would come calling, you would help him of course you would, you would talk to him and say, 'Okay what can I do for you?'"

Van Nistelrooy clinched the 2023 KNVB Cup as PSV Eindhoven boss before resigning and later joining United, where he netted 150 goals across 219 matches in his five-year spell at the club. Despite the noise surrounding his future, Ten Hag appeared unfazed ahead of the Porto clash and admitted that he had been in consistent dialogue with sporting director Dan Ashworth.

"We talk every day. We are a union and we made that commitment in the summer," Ten Hag said. "We refreshed the staff and I appointed my assistants, I appointed the staff. I did this. We refreshed the squad as well.

"It's not necessary to give me confidence. We talk every day about how we can improve this club, this team, improve the processes, the procedures, the connections. That is what we talk about."