Van Nistelrooy back, Neville advising on Old Trafford - Man United's next legend to return decided

Each football club has a certain affiliation with former players especially those who have enjoyed great success.

Manchester United is no different and fortunately, a lot of the ex-professional footballers who represented the Reds enjoyed fruitful careers and are now becoming successful in their next role. Unfortunately, in recent times a lot of players have avoided returns into the United set-up as the Glazers' ownership created a divide between the boardroom and the terraces.

Players both past and present have since fallen into a no-man's land and have struggled to walk the fine line between the two. Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority stake in the Reds, some ex-players have returned to United.

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Gary Neville was appointed to the Old Trafford taskforce which has been assembled to determine the future of the stadium. Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy has been offered a role as part of Erik ten Hag's coaching staff despite being destined for the Burnley role.

This has got us thinking, which ex-players would we like to see return to United next? We asked our MEN Sport writers to give their opinions.

Tom Doyle

Given United's embarrassment of riches when it comes to club legends, it's tempting to consider cramming Erik ten Hag's coaching staff with half a dozen icons who could inspire belief and fear in equal measure. Roy Keane overseeing training sessions would be an absolute delight for United fans craving a little schadenfreude after so many miserable games last season, but the glamour and money on offer to become a pundit - and the character assassinations required to make the headlines - makes returning to the dugout a double-edged sword.

Michael Carrick is doing promising work at Middlesbrough and would be brilliant for Kobbie Mainoo, but going from manager to assistant would be a step in the wrong direction for him right now. Ruud van Nistelrooy looks an ideal addition if he can be tempted to turn down Burnley.

Van Nistelrooy has the desire, the experience and the quality to make a real difference at United: he is quite rightly remembered as one of Old Trafford's most lethal strikers, and the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho can all go up a level when it comes to their finishing.

Jack Flintham

It may seem populist to argue this case but having Roy Keane inside that United dressing room could make a huge improvement to this team. His no-nonsense approach to football may not be everyone's cup of tea and he would undoubtedly have to adapt his style to ensure younger players did not have their confidence shot to pieces.

However, one of the main concerns for United in recent years is the lack of standards among the playing squad. Some members of the team have been accused of not wanting it enough and you have to feel with Keane in the dressing room, they would not fall down at that hurdle.

Whether you would want him to be on the coaching staff is up for debate, but perhaps an advisory role within the club could help the Reds' squad to reach the lofty standards expected from the Old Trafford fanbase.

Isaac Johnson

Eric Cantona would be a popular figure I’m sure. Maybe he can sing the team talk. Perhaps even give some half-time betting odds.

But in all seriousness, I’m going to go for a left-field option. Mark Robins almost beat United with Coventry City and Wembley having been 3-0 down, so he can clearly inspire players.

But beyond that, he has guided a club who were on the brink of financial ruin and had to move grounds twice to within a kick of the Premier League, losing in the 2023 Championship play-off final to Luton on penalties.

The idea of becoming a number two almost seems insulting, but if you want somebody who has been through the mill and come out the other side, there is probably no better-positioned former player.

Of course, we are talking about a move that would most likely only happen on Football Manager, with Robins a great manager in his own right, so a United return as No.2 is mere theory. It’s more likely he returns to Old Trafford as an opposing manager.

It’s arguable that Robins is probably one of the most successful managers to come out of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Tom Coley

Not to be too 'Old Man' about this, but United could do with someone who knows the club. It's easier said than done to make this work though, just look at how long it took Mikel Arteta to get Arsenal back up to speed, and the failure of Frank Lampard to get Chelsea ship-shape as interim 12 months ago.

United need to be careful about this but it's to see why someone that takes a bit of control and demands authority would work. Could Nemanja Vidic do a job as a defensive coach? Can he instill a bit of expertise?

If not him then Jaap Stam has coaching experience and wouldn't take no for an answer. There just needs to be a grounded brutality to United. It can't go over the top like Roy Keane, but someone not far off that sort of ilk certainly has something to offer.

Gary Neville is a smart man too. He has long said that he doesn't see himself as being good enough to have a role to play, but he speaks clearly and knows his stuff. Perhaps as an advisor, alongside his role on the Old Trafford redevelopment, wouldn't be a bad shout either.

Amie Wilson

His name has been mentioned a lot over the last couple of months amid the managerial merry-go-round, but former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna is someone who United should look to bring back to the club sometime in the future.

He was linked to several Premier League jobs earlier in the summer, including a return to United, but ended up signing a new contract with Ipswich Town. He led the club to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League since leaving United to take the role as manager at Portman Road.

With more certainty over the future of Erik ten Hag now it turns out that his commitment to Ipswich was probably good news for United. It gives the young manager a chance to gain some Premier League experience with the Tractor Boys.

If he adapts as well as he has done in League One and the Championship, then when United are searching for a new manager, whenever that may be in the future, they could do a lot worse than offering the former coach a return to Old Trafford.

Matthew Abbott

With Ruud van Nistelrooy potentially returning to Old Trafford, why not another iconic Dutch striker who has since gone into coaching in the Netherlands? Robin van Persie was in the crowd at Old Trafford on Boxing Day alongside Edwin van der Sar and back at Old Trafford again in February following a four-hour dinner with Erik ten Hag.

The former centre-forward had been an assistant coach for five years at Feyenoord, working with the club's strikers and coaching their youth teams before being named the new head coach of Heerenveen last month. That path almost mirrors Van Nistelrooy's time at PSV, starting with the under-17s, progressing to the under-19s, then the reserves and up to the first-team.

Both have been specialist striker coaches during their coaching careers, meaning Van Persie could equally replace the potentially outgoing Benni McCarthy at some stage in the future. The Dutchman also played alongside Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans during his time at United, plus knows Tyrell Malacia from their time at Feyenoord.