Ruud van Nistelrooy names major challenge awaiting Ruben Amorim at Man Utd

• Ruben Amorim will take charge of Man Utd this month
• Portuguese replaces Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout
• Ruud van Nistelrooy admits Amorim will have to get used to club’s global standing

Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted Ruben Amorim will have to get used to Manchester United’s global standing in world football when he arrives as manager.

The Red Devils moved quickly to secure a deal for the highly-rated 39-year-old after dismissing Erik ten Hag following a poor run of results.

Amorim has plenty of work to do to turn United’s season around. They currently sit 13th in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s clash with Leicester City, while their victory over PAOK on Thursday was their first in Europe in 2024/25 after three previous draws.

Van Nistelrooy, who will take charge of United for one last time against the Foxes before Amorim starts his new job, has now claimed Ten Hag’s successor will have to get used to the club’s demands but added he does not think the former Portugal international’s previously low profile will count against him.

He revealed: “For me, when we landed in Bangkok on a pre-season tour in 2001 and I saw 100,000 people at the airport, that’s when I thought ‘ooh!’.

“That’s what I thought – then you realise what United is on a worldwide scale, and in Real Madrid it’s similar, wherever you go, the attention. In the end you learn to bring it down to focusing on your job and performing as a player or coach and dealing with those circumstances.

“That’s a big responsibility – we are all aware of it, but it’s also a challenge. When you go to manage or play for the biggest clubs the demand and spotlight is all part of it.

“I have to say in my years as a player in Real Madrid I also experienced microscopic views and intensity as well, 20 pages in all the papers every day, radio stations, social media.

“In the world game really, United is up there too. But that’s also the challenge – to play and manage this club is a huge responsibility and I see that as a challenge whoever manages here.

“Big name, small name – call it anything you want. In the end it’s the person, and the talent and the qualities of that person will make sure how things will go. So that’s why it’s not so important about the big name in this sense.”