Gary Lineker has revealed incoming Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy was not the Foxes’ first choice to replace Steve Cooper.
The Premier League strugglers appointed the former Nottingham Forest boss in the summer following Enzo Maresca’s move to Chelsea.
Cooper, however, struggled to win over the dressing room and was sacked earlier this week after presiding over just two wins from 12 Premier League games and the newly promoted side just a point above the relegation zone.
Van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, was jettisoned by Manchester United after his short-lived return to Old Trafford.
Hired in the summer as a new assistant to Erik ten Hag, the former United striker was deemed surplus to requirements by his Dutch compatriot’s successor Ruben Amorim.
Van Nistelrooy did steady the ship ahead of Amorim’s arrival as he took temporary charge of United prior to the arrival of the Portuguese who enjoyed his first win at the helm last night.
Despite his burgeoning reputation, Lineker is more hopeful than confident that his appointment will trigger an improvement in the form of a side that has struggled so badly.
‘Whoever you go for it’s a gamble,’ the outgoing Match of the Day host told his The Rest is Football podcast.
‘I understand, I’m informed behind the scenes that one or two managers turned it down.
‘But it’s an opportunity for Ruud. It’s a big name to come to Leicester City and I hope it works out.’
‘I”ll tell you in a month!’ he added when co-host Micah Richards put him on the spot and asked if Van Nistelrooy could turn the ship around.
Leicester’s interim coach, meanwhile, says he is in the dark about reports of the imminent appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy.
First-team coach Ben Dawson will take charge against Brentford on Saturday and was asked if he could say anything about Van Nistelrooy.
‘Nothing at the moment,” he told reporters at the pre-match news conference. “I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation. We probably know as much as you do and we’re just continuing and focusing on the game tomorrow.’
Dawson said the departure of Cooper had been ‘a little bit unexpected’ and that the players ‘shared some of that unexpectedness early in the week.’
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