Recently departed Manchester United caretaker coach Ruud van Nistelrooy is said to be devastated by new boss Ruben Amorim's decision.
Van Nistelrooy's interim spell at Old Trafford lasted just four games, with the Dutchman claiming three victories and a draw before his permanent departure from the club was announced.
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Van Nistelrooy was initially brought in by the club as the assistant coach to previous manager Erik ten Hag in July, but the latter was shown the door in October, leaving the side languishing in 14th place on the Premier League table.
During his impressive four-game run, Van Nistelrooy seemingly won over many hearts, as fans began chanting his name during matches at Old Trafford.
But unfortunately for the 48-year-old, his stint served as only a bridge between Ten Hag's reign and the tenure of new boss Amorim, who took charge of the side on 11 November.
Now, a close friend of Van Nistelrooy has revealed that the former PSV Eindhoven manager was devastated by Amorim's decision not to include him in his backroom staff.
His friend, Andre Ooijer, told The Mirror: "Ruud wanted to stay as assistant. He would have said something if he wasn't interested in working with Amorim.
"Ruud has had the chance to be manager or head coach at other clubs, but he deliberately did not take those jobs because he wanted to work at the club he loves most.
"Don't forget Ruud did really well at United, a draw against Chelsea and victories in the other three matches. You could tell the fans liked him so much. You only had to watch how they reacted to him after his last match. He did so well under difficult circumstances.
"He has stayed unbeaten as a manager. If Amorim does not get the right results in the first few games, the crowd could start calling again for Ruud."
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Elsewhere, Van Nistelrooy has been linked with a job in the EFL Championship, with a takeover at Burnley and Coventry City being mooted last week.
By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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