Man United supporters may need to accept uncomfortable truth about Ruud van Nistelrooy return

Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to Manchester United has the potential to be one of the feel-good moments of the summer.

The Dutch striker left Old Trafford under a cloud after a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson, but his remorse following the incident has been clear ever since. But now, in a heart-warming full-circle moment, the 47-year-old could return to United in the dugout as one of Erik ten Hag's assistants.

It would be a coup for United to bring in a personality like Van Nistelrooy as merely a coach. He completed a domestic double with PSV Eindhoven's first-team, winning the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup during his one season in charge.

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Yet here he is willing to accept an assistant coaching role with United just to be back at his former club. This is despite Championship club Burnley offering him their manager's job.

It all sounds too good to be true and sadly that's what it could well be. Van Nistelrooy will be ambitious but it feels like moving back to being an assistant is a step down even if that role is at Old Trafford.

Unfortunately, United could find that they are being used by Van Nistelrooy as he attempts to negotiate a better deal with Burnley or somewhere else entirely. This could be hard to accept but at the end of the day, the 47-year-old has a family and there certainly won't be any sentimentality shown if United or Burnley chose to part ways with him in the future.

He will need to negotiate the best possible deal for himself and nobody can begrudge him that. Whether Van Nistelrooy is genuinely interested in becoming an assistant manager again rather than sticking to being the head coach, only he knows.

However, United fans convinced it is a foregone conclusion that Van Nistelrooy will return must brace themselves for potential disappointment.