The legendary Dutch striker took over when Erik ten Hag’s dismissal was confirmed at the end of October, with the Red Devils moving quickly to secure a deal for highly-rated Sporting CP boss Amorim.
Van Nistelrooy presided over four matches while Amorim concluded his business in Portugal, going unbeaten and finishing with a 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday.
After the win, which saw United maintain their pre-match position of 13th in the Premier League, Van Nistelrooy spoke of his pride at managing his former club and reiterated his desire to stay on in a coaching capacity under the new regime.
He said: “I really enjoyed it, it’s been a short but amazing period. We are in an uncertain position but we tried to do our jobs and help the club which is important.
“There are a lot of feelings there, the way the fans supported me and the team always in difficult moments, it was a special moment. To close down this block of games with good results and a good connection, I can’t thank them enough. We will learn what the further plan is now.”
Van Nistelrooy signed off with a win / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/GettyImages
Speaking in his post-match press conference, he added: “[The club hierarchy] said, ‘okay, it’s going to be four [games], it’s going to be announced a new head coach’ etc, etc. So, for me, it is important to have that clarity and I appreciated that. In the end, the most important thing is this football club, and I’m here to support that in my role.
“As I said, I want to continue doing that in the future and now also the communication was okay, [that] ‘after the block of four games, there will be communication towards you and your colleagues that are in an uncertain situation’. So, I expect to hear today or tomorrow from them.”
Amorim, who took charge of his final Sporting match on Sunday in a 4-2 comeback success over Braga, said he will soon discuss Van Nistelrooy’s future with the former striker.
He revealed: “He is a legend of the club. He did a great job. I’ll talk with him tomorrow. I’m very clear about what I want. Maybe we’re not going to talk tomorrow, but you will for sure know in the coming weeks.”
