Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy (full name Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij, see letter IJ; born July 1, 1976 in Oss, North Brabant, Netherlands) is a Dutch football player currently playing for Manchester United. He wears the number 10 for Manchester United and the number 9 for the Netherlands

Manchester United

During his first season at Manchester United, van Nistelrooy played in 32 games and netted 23 goals and scored in a record eight consecutive FA Premier League games. He scored 10 Champions League goals and was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Related Topics:
FA Premier League - PFA Players' Player of the Year

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During the following year, the 2002-2003 season, van Nistelrooy scored 25 Premier League goals and 14 goals in European competition while leading Manchester United to the Premier League title. He also broke the record for scoring goals in European competitions for Manchester United in this season.

Related Topics:
2002 - 2003

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Van Nistelrooy started off the 2003-2004 season in spectacular fashion, scoring twice in his first two league games. He missed a last-minute penalty in an important match against Arsenal, He also managed to score his 100th and 101st goals for the club against Everton at Goodison Park on 7 February 2004, as United earned a 4-3 Premiership victory.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2004 - Arsenal - Everton - Goodison Park - 7 February - Premiership

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Van Nistelrooy was selected to play for the Netherlands at {{Ec2|2004}}. Prior to the team's opening match against Germany, van Nistelrooy stoked up his country's already intense rivalry with the Germans by saying that emotions would be intensified by lingering bitterness over World War II. His comments were severely criticised by the German media. During the match, he scored an acrobatic volley, one of the goals of the tournament, to silence his critics and take Holland to the next round. He shared the goal-scoring lead in the group phase with England teenage sensation Wayne Rooney, who he now plays alongside at Manchester United, and was one of only two players in the tournament to score goals in all three of their team's group matches (the other was Czech Milan Baroš).

Related Topics:
Germany - Germans - World War II - Media - England - Wayne Rooney - Czech - Milan Baroš

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Van Nistelrooy missed a large part of the 2004/2005 season through injury, but was still the top goalscorer in the Champions League with 10 goals. Van Nistelrooy is the second highest goalscorer in Champions League history, with Real Madrid's forward Raúl being the first.

Related Topics:
Real Madrid's - Raúl

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At the start of the 2005/2006 season Van Nistelrooy returned to form, scoring in United's first four Premiership games. He has also maintained his place in the Netherland's starting lineup despite pressure from Bayern Munich striker Roy Makaay.

Related Topics:
Bayern Munich - Roy Makaay

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Van Nistelrooy's success for Manchester United has made him a target for many of Europe's top teams. He has often been rumoured to be leaving United, with Real Madrid touted as his most likely destination. The more recent speculation had him being swapped for Michael Owen but these stories were dismissed by Manchester United and van Nistelrooy himself, who has stated that he wishes to keep playing for United for as long as he can. One of the most feared strikers in the world, van Nistelrooy is in joint 3rd place, together with Eusébio, of the European Cup/Champions League all-time goalscorers with 47 goals, 3 behind all-time leader Raúl and 2 behind Alfredo di Stefano.

Related Topics:
Real Madrid - Michael Owen - Eusébio - Raúl - Alfredo di Stefano

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Van Nistelrooy married Leontine Slaats on 10 July 2004.

Related Topics:
10 July - 2004

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