'I had family meeting about Ruud van Nistelrooy – he's why I'm a £70m player today'

Manchester United's attempts to sign Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer were ultimately scuppered despite his former coach Ruud van Nistelrooy now being at the club.

The former Red Devils striker, who joined Erik ten Hag's coaching staff in July, was at the helm at PSV for the 2022/23 season, and one of the first moves he made in the transfer market was signing Branthwaite on loan from Everton. The youngster flourished in the Eredivisie, though it took him half a season to properly settle and establish himself as a first team regular.

In an interview with The Times, Branthwaite, 22, lauded Van Nistelrooy for helping him to take his game to new heights, and eventually blossom into one of English football's brightest prospects. "He was brilliant for me," the Toffees starlet said in December 2023.

"He would advise me on my defensive body positioning and the significance of being side-on, ensuring I'm always prepared to retreat or press forward. He warned that without the correct body shape, you'll be caught out because the Premier League is much quicker. If they play it behind you and you're not side-on, the striker will already be away."

READ MORE: Ruud van Nistelrooy shows his true colours amid claims he could replace Erik ten Hag

READ MORE: Sean Dyche spells out difference Jarrad Branthwaite will make for beleaguered Everton

United made Branthwaite their top transfer target at the beginning of the summer, but saw several offers for the player rejected. They eventually signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt after being deterred by Everton's hefty £70million price tag.

However, it's understood the Red Devils are still eager to bring the centre back to Old Trafford and are planning a renewed bid in the New Year. Van Nistelrooy, 48, could play a pivotal role in enticing Branthwaite to the club, especially if he becomes United's manager.

Ten Hag is under severe pressure following United's crushing 3-0 defeat by Tottenham on Sunday, a result which left them languishing in the bottom half of the table. His tenure at the club is now teetering on the edge, and he may only have two matches to save his job.

Usually, assistant coaches follow sacked managers out of the door, but United may look to retain Van Nistelrooy amid whispers they're considering him for a temporary managerial role if Ten Hag departs. Such a scenario would likely be music to the ears of Branthwaite, who admitted that he "trusts" Van Nistelrooy after the Dutchman went above and beyond to fulfil a promise he'd made during their PSV days.

"At the midpoint in the [2022/23] season, I hadn't played as much as I would have liked," Branthwaite revealed. "I had a clause in my contract where I could have returned here [to Everton] and, having hardly played, I said I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

"He [Van Nistelrooy] sat me down for half an hour and said I was going to play every game in the second half of the season. At the time, I was like, 'you can say that, but how am I meant to believe you?' We were on a winter break, I was on holiday, and he kept ringing me every day, saying, 'trust me, you are going to play'.

"I sat down with my mam, dad and my agent and said, 'he wouldn't go to all this effort if he wasn't going to play me'. I decided to trust him and it worked out well."

Branthwaite began his career at Carlisle United, and Everton were quick to snap up the promising star after only 14 appearances for the Cumbrians in 2020. However, it wasn't until following his loan spell to PSV that Branthwaite truly became a staple fixture in the first team at Goodison Park.

He's since clocked up 55 appearances for Everton, netting four goals, and also snagged his first cap for England in a Euro 2024 warm-up against Bosnia and Herzegovina back in June; however, he didn't make the cut for Gareth Southgate's final 26-man squad for the tournament.

As for Van Nistelrooy, he spent five years at Old Trafford as a player after signing from PSV in 2001. He notched up a whopping 150 goals from 219 games and scooped up several accolades, including the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the PFA Player of the Year, before leaving for Real Madrid in 2006.

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