Man Utd legend out of running to replace Ruben Amorim as chiefs target two candidates

A Manchester United legend has been ruled out of the running to be named interim manager at Old Trafford following Ruben Amorim’s sacking, with just two candidates vying for the job

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been ruled out as a potential interim manager at Manchester United for the remainder of the season. The race is now between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick.

United’s chief executive, Omar Berrada, and director of football, Jason Wilcox, held discussions with both candidates on Tuesday. They plan to meet with each of them again before deciding who will return to Old Trafford. Darren Fletcher is currently holding the fort in a caretaker role.

Carrick is being seriously considered, having previously served as interim boss and performed well in his first permanent role at Middlesbrough. However, Solskjaer emerged as the front-runner after being seen in Cheshire on Tuesday.

Both have had previous stints in charge under similar circumstances. Solskjaer took the reins in December 2018 following Jose Mourinho’s sacking and won his first eight matches across all competitions.

The Norwegian manager then signed a three-year contract three months into his tenure. His reign ended in November 2021, leading to Carrick taking over for three matches.

Instead of retaining their former player, United appointed Ralf Rangnick for the rest of the season. Carrick soon left his position as first-team coach under the German manager. His managerial career continued the following year when he was appointed by Middlesbrough. After two-and-a-half seasons with the Championship club, they parted ways last summer.

Van Nistelrooy left his most recent role just weeks later after departing Leicester City by mutual agreement following their drop to the Championship. The legendary frontman also spent just over a year managing PSV in the Netherlands, claiming the Dutch Cup after previously working in their youth setup.

He subsequently returned to United as an assistant manager under Erik ten Hag during the summer of 2024. After his fellow Dutchman’s exit just months later, he took temporary charge for three fixtures before Ruben Amorim’s appointment. However, he won’t be given another chance to lead at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer is the most recently active of the trio, having taken the reins at Besiktas in January last year. The Turkish side dismissed him earlier this campaign after defeat in the Conference League qualifying rounds.

United’s treble-winning forward boasts the most coaching credentials of their potential candidates, having overseen more than 200 games across two stints at Molde in Norway, plus a short period with Cardiff City during their solitary Premier League campaign.

Darren Fletcher will oversee his maiden fixture on Wednesday when United travel to Burnley. Speaking ahead of the clash, he said: “I’ve had a conversation [about the future] and the focus was on this game. I’ve got a game to prepare for, a training session to organise, and I’ve been speaking to the players. The focus has been on the Burnley match, and we’ll speak after the game.”

United are set to face Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend, with the Scotsman expected to continue at the helm. The first match back at Old Trafford for either Carrick or Solskjaer is likely to be the Manchester derby against City.

The challenges don’t let up for Man United and their potential interim manager. Their last match of January will see them travel to league leaders Arsenal.