Ruud Forever

It is almost certain that Ruud van Nistelrooy will be leaving Manchester United over the coming weeks. Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has announced 'I am waiting for David Gill [chief executive] to fill me in, but Ruud has asked to leave.'

This statement follows weeks of uncertainty about the striker's future, after falling out of favour with the manager during the closing weeks of the Premiership season. Tonight is the first time the club has spoken about the issue since the start of the World Cup finals in Germany.

There has been interest from Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, all three clubs hoping to buy the Dutchman who turned 30 two weeks ago. Ferguson confirmed 'There may be some interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich'.

The future of Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy is soon to be decided when Sir Alex Ferguson meets with the club's directors over the next 24 hours. The Dutchman has been linked with a move away from the Red Devils since United's Carling Cup glory which marked the start of a spell on the bench, having been replaced by Frenchman Louis Saha.

The seriousness of the matter, however, was uncovered yesterday when Van Nistelrooy was reported to have left Old Trafford three hours before Manchester United's final match of the season was to kick off. It is rumoured that he boarded a plane to Holland.

After the 4:0 victory over Charlton Athletic yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed that Ruud was not featured in the starting 11 or on the bench before the game. Club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, commented 'There have been a couple of issues during the week that concerned me in terms of the spirit at the club. On such an important day, I just felt that Ruud should be left out. It's straightforward, we'll be discussing it with the club's directors tomorrow and Tuesday and that's it.'

It has not yet been announced whether Ruud was told to go home or whether he did so of his own accord. However, it is becoming increasingly likely that the 29-year-old will not be a feature at Roy Keane's testomonial on Tuesday night.

It has been confirmed that Ruud Van Nistelrooy is to become a father in September of this year.

A United source said 'Leontien [Ruud's wife] is three months pregnant - and she and Ruud are delighted. But they're very private people and don't want to make a song and dance. They have only told close friends and family. They're not the types for publicity and showbiz life.'

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson commented 'It's suddenly come right for Ruud. He was relegated to sub for five games and everyone was asking if he had a future at Old Trafford. Then he gets this great news about becoming a dad, wins his place back, captains them and scores the winner against West Ham.'

Rumours of a departure have recently surrounded Manchester United’s Ruud Van Nistelrooy. However, assistant Manager Carlos Querioz has slammed all speculation.

‘He is in our plans, short, medium and long term,’ he said.

‘We can’t be surprised that 50 teams in the world want Ruud. There is only one team that doesn’t need to be thinking ‘We need a player like Ruud Van Nistelrooy’ and that’s us, because we already have him.

The most important thing to state is that Ruud is a crucial player for our goals and ambitions. Nobody should have any doubts about that. He is part of the family here, part of the team and part of our needs.

‘I take these things in an easy way. This is a big club with big stars and speculation will always be around us. It is a natural thing at the top clubs. I don’t even think there is anything wrong with it, it is part of the show. There is no problem with it so long as it doesn’t cross the line.

‘We show our commitment and appreciation for the player because he is a crucial player for us. We talk with the players on a daily basis. Speculation is part of football and is nothing new for us.’

Queiroz also commented on the Dutchman’s week. ‘This week has showed the same enthusiasm and commitment, but he had a family funeral and it was a difficult week for him personally. But from a technical and professional point of view, he performed fantastically during the week.’

The assistant also commented about the time Van Nistelrooy has recently spent on the bench. 'It happens once in a while, for different circumstances, that one player doesn't play,' he said. 'We cannot play in four major competitions with just eleven players. We need great players, the best players in the world.'

Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, has spoken out about the situation with Ruud Van Nistelrooy after last weekend's Carling Cup final.

Ferguson said 'If I didn't play Louis in the final after he had scored so many goals, he might have said to himself 'I can get a regular place somewhere else'. There was a danger of losing him.'

When asked if the same situation applied to Van Nistelrooy, the Scotsman replied 'After one game? No way. Louis deserved to start the final. That's a definite. Everything else is secondary.

'We had four strikers a few years ago and it was always difficult when we picked a team then. There was always disappointment and, of course everyone wants to play in a final. It's nothing new. I had it in '99 and the two players I left out in the [European Cup] final won us the game. Competition is good. Players should benefit from competition whether it's from their own team-mates or from opponents. The team now has the challenge of finishing second in the League, taking it Chelsea are not going to slip up now, and the players realise how important that is.'