The former Red Devils attacker is leaning towards returning to the Premier League side
Bafana Bafana striker Lyles Foster will not be coached by Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy following reports that he is set to accept a role on Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff.
Van Nistelrooy has been approached by Ten Hag to join his backroom staff, effectively replacing South Africa legend Benni McCarthy, whose contract at United ends this month.
The move came after he had been shortlisted among candidates for the Burnley job.
Now, the former striker is reported to have decided to join his ex-club and reject a chance to become manager of Burnely in the English Championship next season.
Van Nistelrooy ‘tempted’ by ‘wonderful challenge’ at United
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who broke the story, reported on Monday that Van Nistelrooy is ‘tempted’ by United and that the deal is ‘advancing fast’ while Dutch outlet ADnl claimed the former PSV Eindhoven coach sees United as a ‘wonderful challenge in a different role.’
It means Foster, who signed for Burney in January 2023, will work under a different manager while Van Nistelrooy is likely to take up the role of attacking coach at United to work with the club’s forwards, a job that was held by McCarthy for the last two seasons.
It leaves the South African icons looking forward to different challenges in the coming season, Foster in line for a new coach following Vincent Kompany’s departure to Bayern Munich, while McCarthy could now be tempted by a move to the United States following rumours that a number of MLS clubs are monitoring his situation.
The former Cape Town City and AmaZulu coach was hired by United to work with the club’s attackers in July 2022 but after an impressive first season, the Red Devils forwards did not cover themselves in glory in 2023-24.
Poor form of United’s strikers worked against McCarthy
That looks to have worked against McCarthy whose contract is ending on the back of United’s eighth-place finish in the Premier League while the INEOS group is looking to shake up things since minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe was handed control of football operations.
Ten Hag is in talks over extending his contract at United after the INEOS team handed him a stay of execution, having come close to losing his job, and he wants to freshen up things in the coaching setup with Van Nistelrooy the new addition.
A section of United fans were already buzzing on social media at the prospect of the former striker joining, with some terming him an upgrade on McCarthy, given his hugely successful five-year stint (2001-2006) at the club that yielded 150 goals in 219 games plus a Premier League title , FA and League Cup trophies.
