Van Gaal Compares Vardy To Van Nistelrooy

A long-standing record set by Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy could be broken by Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy when the Reds visit the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Van Nistelrooy was prolific during his five years at Old Trafford and famously scored in 10 consecutive Barclays Premier League matches, finding the net in the final eight matches of the 2002/03 season before notching further strikes in the first two fixtures of the 2003/04 campaign.

The Dutchman’s goal record had stood for just over a decade but was recently equalled by Vardy, whose sensational form under new Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has propelled the Foxes to the top of the table ahead of the teatime kick-off with the Reds.

Louis van Gaal coached van Nistelrooy during his first reign as Netherlands boss and, although he doesn’t know Vardy, he admits there's a comparison to be made. “Van Nistelrooy didn’t play so much with me because I was the trainer-coach of Ajax and he was at PSV,” says the boss. “I have seen him because he was also in the national team, but then he was more injured at that time.

"Van Nistelrooy is like Vardy in how he concentrated to make goals, he was always running in behind the defence and you can compare them. In personality, they are different, but I don't know Vardy so well."

Van Gaal first came across Vardy last season when the England international scored in Leicester’s 5-3 win over United at the King Power Stadium, and the manager is wary of him this time around.

“He was already last year a very nasty player for us,” van Gaal explains. “He scored, he provoked a penalty and now he is scoring 10 goals in a row so now you are a great player. I only know, for example, Dennis Bergkamp as a player with me did the same with Ajax and that is not so easy.”