Ruud van Nistelrooy believes Manchester United made a major misstep by letting goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar leave following Ruben Amorim’s appointment as manager.
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Ten Rouwelaar, who joined United in July as part of Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff, departed the club in November after Amorim’s arrival.
During his brief stint at Old Trafford, Ten Rouwelaar played a key role in Andre Onana’s performances, helping the goalkeeper deliver some of the finest displays of his career, according to Van Nistelrooy.
Earlier this month, Ten Rouwelaar reunited with Van Nistelrooy at Leicester City, where he has taken up the role of assistant manager and goalkeeping coach.
His new challenge is to enhance the skills of Leicester’s first-choice goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen.
Van Nistelrooy is confident in Ten Rouwelaar’s ability to improve Hermansen, citing his previous success with talented goalkeepers.
“Mads is having a solid season. He’s a great shot-stopper and excellent with his feet, but there’s always room to reduce the workload on him. With Jelle’s guidance, he’ll only get better,” Van Nistelrooy said.
He also highlighted Ten Rouwelaar’s impressive track record, including his work with Bart Verbruggen at Anderlecht and Onana at United.
“He worked with Onana during his best form this season and significantly improved him. Jelle is an outstanding addition to our team,” Van Nistelrooy added.
Beyond individual goalkeepers, Van Nistelrooy praised Ten Rouwelaar’s ability to elevate the entire defensive unit.
“He doesn’t just improve keepers but enhances the whole team’s ability to play out from the back. It’s a collective effort, and Jelle is excellent at integrating that process,” he explained.
Manchester United’s loss appears to be Leicester City’s gain, as Ten Rouwelaar now looks set to make his mark in the Premier League once again.
