Matthijs de Ligt sends Ruben Amorim message about 'really valuable' Manchester United hero

Matthijs de Ligt wants to keep at when he becomes manager tomorrow.

Amorim is jetting in to Manchester to take charge at Old Trafford and one of his first calls will be to decide the fate of van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy to finish with three wins and a draw from his short spell in interim charge.

De Ligt says his fellow Dutchman knows United well, having starred for them as a striker between 2001 and 2006. The United fans sang his name towards the end at Old Trafford and he became emotional when he thanked the Stretford End before disappearing down the players’ tunnel in what could be his final act.

Van Nistelrooy was brought back to Old Trafford by Erik ten Hag as his assistant in the summer and de Ligt says he has made a big impact in his few months as a coach at Old Trafford. Although Amorim has insisted on bringing his own team with him from Sporting Lisbon, de Ligt hopes the Portuguese will find a role for van Nistelrooy.

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“Yeah, I can only speak of my experience and I think he was really valuable as an assistant,” said de Ligt. “As a manager, he knows the club. Obviously he knows what gets asked for with certain players, together with the crowd also.

“So yeah in my opinion, but in the end it’s the decision of the manager.”

De Ligt feels ten Hag was unlucky with results and feels United should have beaten , instead of losing in the defeat which cost him his job.

“I don’t think Ruud changed so much,” said The Netherlands defender. “The difference was with Eric, we had games that we played really well in, like West Ham away, with eight 200 per cent chances and we didn’t score.

“I mean, the game, in the first game, we got five goals. Five goals that are like a shot from 30 meters, that back pass, a free-kick in the wall.

“Sometimes in football, it’s quite strange because sometimes luck takes over. And I think, obviously it’s a big compliment to Ruud, but also I think for Eric, it wasn’t that something big changed, it’s just that the momentum changed.

“And if the momentum changes, everybody gets more confident and you start to win games, it’s as simple as that.”

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