Friday, March 24, 2023 at 5:52 PM• Mart Oude Nijeweeme • Last update: 18:10

Ruud van Nistelrooij has opened a booklet about the course of his football career in conversation with Gary Neville. In the online video series overlap the former right back of Manchester United visits his former teammate in Eindhoven. During the conversation, Van Nistelrooij’s best trainer, favorite person and biggest misstep will be discussed. The current PSV trainer then talks about his failed adventure at Hamburger SV.

Van Nistelrooij experienced the most successful period of his career at Manchester United, where he also met the best manager of his career. “That is Sir Alex Ferguson. Without a doubt,” said the former striker. “Because I’ve had him over a longer period of time as a manager. Five years in total. I’ve never played under any other manager for so long. When you see what he left behind at the club… When I look back on those five years now , on the team and how he has led it, he is by far the best.”


Watch the episode with Gary Neville here.

In the eyes of Van Nistelrooij, Joaquín was the player with the best character in the dressing room. “I played with him at Málaga. He is a television personality. He is known for his jokes, but he also has a really strong character. He is also very funny.” Then Van Nistelrooij gets the choice between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. “Then I always say Ronaldo, because I played with him,” said Van Nistelrooij, who was on the field with the Portuguese star player at both United and Real Madrid.

HSV
Van Nistelrooij went to Hamburger SV after his employment with Real. His ‘biggest mistake ever’, according to the former goalscorer. “I shouldn’t have left Madrid then. Manuel Pellegrini was our coach and he bought Karim Benzema, Kaka and Ronaldo. There was no place for me anymore. I accepted that, also because I was 33. But I wanted to go to the World Cup in 2010, so I decided to go to HSV. I made that decision too quickly in retrospect. It was also not the right time for my family to go.”

Van Nistelrooij started well at HSV, immediately scored twice in his first game, but ultimately did not get further than 17 goals and 3 assists in 44 official games. He also did not go to the World Cup. “If I had been allowed to do that again, I would never have gone there. It was too much, also for the family. We had to move again. There was nothing wrong with the club, it was personal circumstances. We also just had children at the time It wasn’t a good idea to take them away from Madrid.”