Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted he regrets the way he left Manchester United, revealing he shouted at Sir Alex Ferguson in a "blind rage" after being left out of the 2006 League Cup final squad. The former Dutch striker, who scored 150 goals for United after joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2001, departed for Real Madrid in July 2006 following a falling out with the legendary boss.
Van Nistelrooy, who later managed United on an interim basis in 2024 and is now assistant coach of the Netherlands national team, spoke about the incident in 2019. He said the end of his time at Old Trafford was "very harsh, both ways," despite the strong bond he had built with Ferguson over five years.
Fallout Over League Cup Final Snub
Ferguson left Van Nistelrooy as an unused substitute for United's 4-0 win over Wigan in the 2006 League Cup final. The forward remained on the bench for the next six Premier League games before returning to the starting XI for wins against West Ham and Bolton. However, after being told he would not feature against Charlton in the final game of the season, he stormed out of Old Trafford three hours before kick-off.
Ferguson then accused Van Nistelrooy of undermining team morale. Reflecting on the incident, Van Nistelrooy told Eleven Sports: "It was very harsh, both ways. Especially after five years of having such a strong bond. I learned so much from him, and in all modesty: he from me too. And yet the end was ruthless."
Making Amends
Van Nistelrooy revealed he made the first move to repair the relationship after his departure. "It was me who took the first step to make it okay again. I called him. A few times a year I felt bad about what I had done to him and the names I called him when he kept me on the bench the entire match in the League Cup final in Cardiff. In a blind rage I shouted at him," he said.
He added: "I called him something. I called him a number of things in a blind rage. Cocky and stubborn as I was, I couldn't snap out of that for some time after. That's how it all crashed. It was just really disrespectful, there were lots of other people there. It wasn't all that outrageous in terms of words but it was completely out of order. Not done. I wasn't proud of it, still am not."
Reconciliation and Later Career
After spells with Real Madrid, Hamburg, and Malaga, Van Nistelrooy retired in 2012 and moved into management with PSV. He rejoined United as assistant manager under Erik ten Hag in 2024, becoming interim head coach when Ten Hag was sacked. He won all four games in charge before being replaced by Ruben Amorim, and later had a brief spell at Leicester City before joining the Dutch national side.
Following his departure from United, a club statement said: "Ruud is and always will be a Manchester United legend. We are grateful for his contribution and the way in which he approached his role throughout his time with the club. He will always be very welcome at Old Trafford."
