'Being a great striker doesn't necessarily make you a great manager' - Ex-Leicester star takes savage dig at former Man Utd star Ruud van Nistelrooy after terrible Foxes spell

Edouard has broken his silence on his doomed loan stint at Leicester City, pointing the finger squarely at former boss Van Nistelrooy. The Crystal Palace forward joined the Foxes on loan last summer and featured sparingly under Steve Cooper before being completely sidelined once Van Nistelrooy took charge in late November. Despite Leicester’s growing goal drought, the Dutchman ignored Edouard for most of the campaign, with the striker making just six appearances as the Foxes crashed out of the Premier League.

Van Nistelrooy’s tenure proved disastrous, with only five wins in 27 matches and eight consecutive games without a goal at one stage. Edouard’s exclusion puzzled many, especially given his experience in English football and Leicester’s lack of cutting edge up front. By the end of the season, the Frenchman was out of favour, the team was relegated, and relations between the two had completely broken down.

The fallout from Leicester’s relegation ultimately cost Van Nistelrooy his job**, as he departed the club in June without another managerial offer on the table since. His failure to revive Leicester’s fortunes, and his handling of senior players like Edouard had become a focal point in post-season reflections. For Edouard, however, the experience appears to have served as both a frustration and a lesson in resilience.

 “The Premier League is indescribable. You have to experience it to understand it, but at Leicester, things went wrong for me. I didn’t get along with Van Nistelrooy,” Edouard told L’Equipe.

“I was stuck for seven months without playing. Being a great striker doesn’t necessarily make you a great manager,” he added, in what can only be described as a brutal assessment of his former coach.

He continued: “After training, I would do an even harder session with my fitness coach. I didn’t give up. Leicester had a professional impact on me. I don’t really have any reasons. At the beginning, I played a little [under Steve Cooper], then things didn’t work out with Van Nistelrooy. I didn’t get along well with him. I found myself blocked for seven months without playing.”

Edouard’s honesty underline a sense of betrayal and wasted opportunity, particularly as Leicester’s lack of goals could have used his experience. His claim that van Nistelrooy’s coaching pedigree did not match his playing legacy has since sparked debate about the Dutchman’s coaching prowess.

Edouard’s spell at Leicester ended in disappointment, but his career has taken a sharp upward turn since returning to France with Lens. The 27-year-old has rediscovered his scoring touch, recently netting a penalty in a 2-1 win over Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille that lifted Lens to second in Ligue 1. The Frenchman has spoken about feeling “liberated” in his new environment, where he has been trusted to lead the line rather than fight for scraps of playing time.

Leicester, on the other hand, continue to rebuild under the leadership of Marti Cifuentes following their relegation nightmare, with the club still counting the cost of poor managerial decisions from last season. Van Nistelrooy’s reputation has taken a significant dent, and whether he can restore it will depend on his next move, if one comes at all. 

 For Edouard, the focus now lies firmly on maintaining his resurgence with Lens and possibly forcing his way back into the conversation for the French national team. His performances in Ligue 1 suggest he has rediscovered the confidence and rhythm that deserted him in England.

Meanwhile, Van Nistelrooy’s post-Leicester career has been far less eventful. After his sacking in June, the Dutchman remains without a managerial post despite previous success at PSV Eindhoven, where he lifted the KNVB Cup. His short, unbeaten stint as interim boss at Manchester United last season now feels a distant memory as questions grow over whether he can rebuild his coaching reputation.