Ruud van Nistelrooy has sent a heartfelt goodbye message to Manchester United and the club’s supporters following the end of his interim tenure.

The club’s former prolific striker returned to Old Trafford over the summer as part of a major structural reshuffling to Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff. When the Dutch coach was sacked at the end of October after leaving United 14th in the Premier League table, Van Nistelrooy was hurriedly ushered into the dugout while the club sought a permanent replacement.

Revered Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim was named as Ten Hag’s permanent successor on 1 November, but only on the condition that he would stay at Sporting CP until the international break. Van Nistelrooy oversaw four matches during this uneasy hiatus, only drawing at home to Chelsea in between three victories, before he was released on Monday.

In a social media post on Friday lunchtime, Van Nistelrooy wrote: “To everyone at Manchester United Football Club, in particular the backroom staff, the players and the fans. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible efforts and support.

“It has been a privilege and honour to represent the club as a player, coach and manager, and I will always cherish the memories we have shared together.

“Man Utd will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope there are many more glory days at Old Trafford very soon – not only because I want the club to do well, but because you all deserve it!

“All the best and take care, Ruud.”

The former PSV Eindhoven manager had made it abundantly clear that he would have liked to stay at United and be part of Amorim’s backroom staff. Oddly, there was no dialogue between the incoming coach and United’s interim before Van Nistelrooy was released on 11 November, the same day that Amorim arrived at the club’s training ground for the first time.

Van Nistelrooy has already been linked with taking over at Championship promotion hopefuls Burnley, though Scott Parker remains in charge at Turf Moor after succeeding Vincent Kompany, who joined Bayern Munich, in the summer.

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