Legends in the dugout – when club heroes become bosses

Ruud van Nistelrooy entertained the Manchester United fans as a player – and did so again on Wednesday when he took charge of his former side for the first time.

With new manager Ruben Amorim completing his move to Old Trafford from Lisbon club Sporting on 11 November after the sacking of Erik ten Hag, Van Nistelrooy has three more matches as interim United boss, beginning with a home Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday (16:30 GMT kick-off).

Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup as a United striker, scoring 150 goals in 219 appearances between 2001-06. He said he wanted to give the fans a good night on Wednesday – and did so as he masterminded a 5-2 win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

The Dutchman follows in the footsteps of former team-mates Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick, who both had spells as temporary United bosses, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned a successful interim period into a near three-year term in charge.

BBC Sport has looked at how five other club legends impacted their legacy by becoming manager.

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)

Liverpool player (1977-1990): 515 appearances, 172 goals

Liverpool manager (1985-1991, 2011-2012): 381 games, 222 wins, 95 draws, 64 losses

Kenny Dalglish is a Liverpool legend. He has a stand at Anfield named after him and is regarded as one of the best – if not the best – players in the club’s history.

After eight successful years as a Liverpool player, he became player-manager and then the manager before leaving in February 1991, only to return for a season and a half from 2011.

Josh Sexton from the Anfield Wrap, external said: “I’m too young to remember Kenny Dalglish’s first spell in charge of Liverpool through my own eyes. However, I have been lucky enough to be regaled with tales by supporters who did get to witness his team, as well as having the pleasure of interviewing ‘The King’ himself about it and the legacy he left behind.

“Given how much his initial exit came under the cloud of the Hillsborough disaster and Kenny’s own downturn in health surrounding that, it was such a breath of fresh air to see him back in the dugout for that second spell. It felt like we had got our club back.

“In the end, fans couldn’t have expected too much more from what was a pretty poor Liverpool side he inherited than to have reached two cup finals and won one of them. He was and will remain a club legend in the eyes of supporters for all the great work he did on and off the field during those two spells.”

Duncan Ferguson (Everton)

Everton player (1994-1998, 2000-2006): 273 appearances, 72 goals

Everton interim manager (2019, 2022): 5 games, 1 win, 3 draws, 1 loss

Duncan Ferguson joined Everton from Rangers in 1994-95, a season that ended with the Toffees winning the FA Cup. After a spell at Newcastle, he returned to Goodison Park, staying with the club until he retired.

After the sacking of Marco Silva, Ferguson moved up from a coaching role to interim manager and was then assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, then Rafael Benitez before taking charge of one more match following the Spaniard’s dismissal.

Everton fan Natalie Bargery said: “There has always been a special relationship between Duncan Ferguson and Evertonians. So when he took charge of Everton for the first time against Chelsea, it was an emotional day.

“I was excited but also desperate for him to succeed. Seeing him walk out of the tunnel for the first time brought a sense of anticipation and expectation that I wouldn’t have felt for just any manager, and he gave us a memorable day. A 3-1 win against the odds, ball boys flung around in celebration and Dunc pumping his fist to the crowd, just like old times.

“He stayed in charge for four games and did well but throughout that time I felt an added anxiety that his legacy could be spoiled. I will remember that Chelsea match forever but I think it may be a blessing that he never took a permanent managerial role at the club and has remained a club legend.”

Eddie Howe (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth player (1994-2002, 2004-2007): 313 appearances, 15 goals

Bournemouth manager (2008-2011, 2012-2020): 458 matches, 194 wins, 95 draws, 169 losses

Centre-back Eddie Howe came through the ranks at Bournemouth and went on to make more than 300 appearances for the Cherries during two spells at the club.

With the club in financial trouble and in danger of slipping out of the Football League, Howe became manager in 2008, kept them up, then won promotion in 2009-10. After a spell at Burnley, two more promotions followed as Howe took Bournemouth into the top flight for the first time in their history.

Mark Mitchener, BBC Sport senior journalist, said: “Eddie Howe the player was a crowd favourite, but Eddie Howe the manager became a Bournemouth legend.

“Expectations were not high when he took over as caretaker boss on New Year’s Eve 2008. Arguably, the Cherries were at their all-time lowest ebb – 23rd in League Two after administration forced them to begin the season on minus 17 points.

“Manager Jimmy Quinn’s tactics had alienated the fans while Darren Anderton chose to retire rather than endure Quinn’s man-management style. Off the field it was no better, with relegation and/or financial oblivion a realistic fear.

“From the outside, it looked like youth coach Howe was an expedient appointment, someone already on the payroll who knew the club well. The supporters knew him and were behind him, knowing what a duff hand he had been dealt.

“But he not only kept Bournemouth up, he won promotion the next season despite a transfer embargo. He returned after 18 months at Burnley to win two promotions in three seasons to take the Cherries to the unthinkable heights of the Premier League only six and a half years after the club was at death’s door – and kept them there for five seasons.

“The phrase ‘club legend’ barely does justice to him.”

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

Chelsea player (2001-2014): 648 appearances, 211 goals

Chelsea manager (2019-2021, 2023): 95 games, 45 wins, 19 draws, 31 losses

Frank Lampard joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2001 for £11m and helped the Blues win the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles and the FA Cup four times.He returned to the club as manager in 2019 and took the club to an FA Cup final in his year and a half in charge before a second spell, this time as caretaker boss at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Will Faulks from Chelsea News, external said: “It’s very hard to assess Frank Lampard’s two spells as manager because of the complex context of each. The first time he took over, Eden Hazard had just been sold and the club had a transfer ban. Despite that, Lampard got his team into the top four, beating expectations.

“For many fans, some of the best memories of recent years come from that period. Watching young academy-produced players making up a big part of the team for the first time in the lives of most supporters was really novel and exciting.

“Coming back for a second spell was a bad decision on Lampard’s part, although one can see why the owners thought it might help as a short-term patch. The situation was even more difficult then, as he dealt with the tricky period where half the squad was sharing a dressing room with the players bought to replace them.

“That awkward transition has taken until very recently to complete, so it should be no surprise that it was tough to handle at its peak. He’s still loved by Chelsea fans, and they largely have a better memory of his time in charge than those outside the club might think.”

Alan Shearer (Newcastle)

Newcastle player (1996-2006): 405 appearances, 206 goals

Newcastle manager (2009): 8 matches, 1 win, 2 draws, 5 losses

Alan Shearer joined Newcastle for a world-record £15m in 1996 and over a 10-year period became the club’s record goalscorer, with a statue of him now at St James’ Park.He made a shock return as manager for the last eight games of the 2008-09 season, with the club in the Premier League relegation zone. Newcastle won one of those matches, a 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough, but it was not enough to keep the club in the top division and they were relegated.BBC Sport’s Joe Nelson said: “Newcastle fans will look back at Alan Shearer’s brief tenure as manager with a degree of sadness as we were all desperate for him to do well.

“However, fans also understand the situation was difficult. The spell did not affect his legacy as a club great and when the owners moved his statue inside the perimeter of the ground – it had been placed outside by former chairman Mike Ashley – fans rejoiced.”

Charlotte Robson from the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external added: “Shearer took over an already doomed Newcastle side in 2009 for their final eight games. His appointment came after the sacking of Chris Hughton, which fans largely considered unfair, and seemed set up for failure.

“Shearer was unable to stop the slide towards relegation and the team fell from the Premier League for the first of two occasions under Mike Ashley. But Newcastle fans hold no contempt for Shearer, who took over in extremely difficult circumstances with no prior experience in management.

“He was persuaded to tackle the role because of his history with and love for the club. This is how Newcastle fans remember him and he remains an icon on Tyneside.”