Ruud: I’m very motivated to help

Re-joining the club as assistant manager in summer, the once-prolific striker has stepped up after the club parted ways with Erik ten Hag on Monday.

Ruud explained to journalists in a Thursday afternoon press conference that his current role will definitely be a short-term one and that he’s dedicated to entertaining the Old Trafford crowd.

“It's going to be a short job as an interim,” van Nistelrooy said.

“That was communicated very clear and I was happy with that. I felt that I was called upon to help the club forward in this situation.

“Obviously, it was difficult, Erik had to leave, I was very disappointed with mixed feelings but after that, you have to switch the mindset to win because 75,000 people are waiting and celebrating and millions are watching at home. That's what we tried to do and the same for Sunday at least, and then after that we'll see.”

Ruud’s first game as interim certainly had people celebrating inside the Theatre of Dreams, as United scored five times to progress in the Carabao Cup past Leicester City.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both scored twice, with the other from Alejandro Garnacho.

"I decided to come back here for a very important reason,” Ruud explained.

“I'm here as an assistant to help the club [move] forward. I'm still very motivated to do so in any capacity. As an assistant and now as an interim manager, and after that I go back to my assistant contract that I have here for this season and next.

“I'm very motivated to stay here and help the club forward. That's my absolute goal.”

Questioned further on whether he’ll stay at United when a new permanent manager is appointed, Ruud reiterated his commitment to the Reds.

"We will see but it's a contract situation that I'm in and my desire to help the club forward so I can speak to you about my side of this story and after that, when the new situation is occurring, when the new manager is signing and conversations take place, we have to see how things develop,” he said.

"I want to help, I want to do everything I can in my abilities, as many others do in this club, to fight for this club.

“The club is in a difficult situation and it is not there where we all wanted to be but the challenge is there. That's why I'm here.

“Everyone's looking at Man United and the situation that it's in, but it's us as people on the floor here to do the utmost, supported by our fans. It's a process and it's something to work for and do everything for.”