Matty Fryatt Expresses Doubts About Ruud van Nistelrooy for Leicester City

Former Leicester City striker Matty Fryatt has expressed reservations regarding Ruud van Nistelrooy’s potential appointment as the club’s new manager, an announcement which Leicester City has not yet officially made. During an appearance on the most recent When You’re Smiling podcast, Fryatt stated: “I didn’t see this coming at the start of the season! I’m not entirely sure on him, in terms of him being unproven and where Leicester City are currently at.” Fryatt acknowledged Van Nistelrooy’s distinguished playing career, noting that he was “obviously a fantastic player” who “always played at the top with Manchester United, Real Madrid and those types of teams.” He highlighted Van Nistelrooy’s tenure as head coach at PSV, but pointed out that the Dutch league “is usually a three-horse race,” suggesting that “being at the wrong end of the table is unfamiliar” for managers in that context. Fryatt drew comparisons to other managerial candidates, specifically mentioning Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, who he believes “never really cut it at Premier League level.” However, Fryatt speculated that the Leicester City board might be considering a similar approach to the paths taken by Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca, Kieran McKenna, and Michael Carrick, potentially “hoping that route has something behind it.” He reiterated that while Van Nistelrooy “will get the respect for his player career,” Fryatt remains uncertain about him “as a manager because it is something different.” Fryatt commended the club for its prompt action this time, contrasting it with their previous “relegation campaign,” when they were “a bit late in terms of sacking Brendan Rodgers.” He concluded that a change was needed sooner then, and this time, they “have acted quickly this time and obviously identified Van Nistelrooy as their man.”