Key Takeaways
Ruud van Nistelrooy was a prolific goalscorer for Manchester United, excelling especially in the UEFA Champions League.
He joined United in 2001 for a then British-record £19 million after an initial transfer fell through due to injury.
Van Nistelrooy's 2002-03 season was exceptional, leading United to the Premier League title as the top scorer with 25 goals.
Despite later injury struggles and tension with teammates, he left a lasting legacy at the club.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the greatest Dutch strikers to have played for the Red Devils, and he was one of the best players in the world as well during his prime. It was especially in the Champions League where he was at his very best, with the player ending as competition top scorer in three separate UEFA Champions League seasons. He is also the 6th highest goalscorer in the competition's history. The Dutchman proved himself to be capable of brilliantly adapting in several leagues as well, with the player being top scorer in three different European domestic leagues. Let us now look back at Van Nistelrooy's time at Manchester United, which saw him amaze Old Trafford with his goalscoring brilliance.
An unfortunate heartbreak
Van Nistelrooy looked set to complete a club record £18.5 million transfer to Manchester United from PSV in the summer of 2000. However, the transfer was eventually canceled due to fitness concerns with the player and PSV's refusal to conduct further medical tests. To make matters worse, the Dutchman suffered a rupture to his anterior cruciate knee ligaments during a training session which left him injured for a year. The player eventually got his move a year later, for a then British-record £19 million.
A Brilliant start at Manchester
Van Nistelrooy joined Manchester United during the 2001–02 season, with his debut being against Liverpool in a 2-1 Charity Shield loss. He went on to score on his Premier League debut though, as his brace helped United beat Fulham 3-2. This was followed by a brilliant run of form by the player, as the Dutchman scored on his Champions League debut for United and then went on to score a Premier League hat-trick against Southampton. His best performance that season came in the FA Cup, as Van Nistelrooy came on from the bench and scored 2 goals in 2 minutes to help the Red Devils make a comeback against Aston Villa.
He ended the season with 23 goals in 32 league games along with 10 Champions League goals. The player also broke the record he shared with Mark Stein, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry by scoring in eight consecutive league games. To round off a brilliant individual season, Van Nistelrooy was also named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.
League Champion
The 2002–03 season saw the very best of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, as he led Manchester United to the Premier League. He finished the season as league top scorer with 25 goals in 34 games, which won him the Golden Boot. The player was also named as the Premier League Player of the Season in 2003. UEFA also named him as the best striker in Europe that season, with his magnificent 12 Champions League goals in nine consecutive matches being one of the major factors for his reward.
Continued brilliance
While United's domination in the league did not last for long, Van Nistelrooy continued his excellent goalscoring form. He started the 2003–04 season by scoring twice in his first two league matches. This meant that he had scored in 10 consecutive league games which was a then Premier League record ( Eventually broken by Jamie Vardy). Some of his memorable moments that league season included the infamous Battle of Old Trafford ( A match famous for an altercation between several United and Arsenal players that resulted in several bans and fines) scoring his 100th goal for United.
Van Nistelrooy and United ended the season on a high, defeating Millwall 3-0 to become the 2004 FA Cup champions.
Final years
Van Nistelrooy missed much of the 2004–05 season due to an injury, but still scored a club-best 8 Champions League goals that season. He also received a 3-match ban that season for a foul on Ashley Cole that the referee had missed in a match against Arsenal. United finished that season on a heartbreak, as they lost the FA Cup finals on penalties to Arsenal.
He finished the 2005–06 season with 21 goals, only behind Arsenal's Thierry Henry. However, he was benched for the League Cup Final against Wigan Athletic. The Dutchman was also benched for 6 consecutive league matches. Van Nistelrooy eventually made his return to the starting line up and performed brilliantly. However, his future at the club was highly speculated at the time.
Things ended up getting worse, as the player had several morale issues and even got involved in a training session fight with a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
All of this resulted in an unfortunate exit from the club, as Van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid for €14 million in July 2006. That was the end of the Dutchman's memorable chapter with the Red Devils.
FAQs
How many goals did Ruud van Nistelrooy score for Manchester United?
Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions, making him one of the club's most prolific forwards.
What was Van Nistelrooy’s best season at Manchester United?
His best season was in 2002-03, where he scored 25 goals in 34 league games, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and leading United to the title.
Did Ruud van Nistelrooy win any major titles with Manchester United?
Yes, Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League in 2002-03, the FA Cup in 2003-04, and the League Cup in 2005-06 during his time at Manchester United.
