English press hail ‘Van Nistelrooy’s effect’: ‘He is now the king of Leicester’ | OneFootball

Ruud van Nistelrooy is being showered with compliments in the English press after he guided Leicester City to a 3-1 win against West Ham United in his first match in charge. The tabloids have even mentioned a ‘Van Nistelrooy effect’, while the former Dutch international has also endearingly been labelled ‘the king of Leicester’.

Despite West Ham having a lot of chances at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, the Foxes still gave Van Nistelrooy a festive debut with a convincing 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss, and Patson Daka.

The BBC beamed ‘Smiling Van Nistelrooy brings faith back to Leicester’ (…) ‘His team struggled at times against West Ham, but Van Nistelrooy’s win has given the Foxes fans their faith again.’ Sky Sports called it ‘a perfect start’ for the recent Manchester United interim manager.

The Guardian wrote of ‘Van Nistelrooy’s effect’ as ‘Leicester’s new manager’s direct connection with the fans was in stark contrast to the forlorn, isolated figure in the West Ham dugout’, Julen Lopetegui. ‘Van Nistelrooy is now the king of Leicester. The home fans were chanting his name within ten minutes.’

‘There is no doubt that there is an aura around Van Nistelrooy, which has given the players and the fans a boost,’ concludes The Athletic. ‘He was calm throughout the game, occasionally giving instructions to players and calming them down when they were under pressure. In the end, Van Nistelrooy left the field to a loud ‘Ruuuuud!’ from the stands.’

‘All eyes were on the Dutchman before, during and after the game,’ the local Leicestershire Live reported. ‘Cheers and ‘Ruuud’ echoed through the King Power Stadium after the final whistle as Leicester moved four points clear of the relegation zone with their third win of the season. The jubilation from their first win under Van Nistelrooy set the tone for what’s to come, with a busy and celebratory programme in prospect.’

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield