Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy hires top Irish coach in bid to boost Leicester hopes
The former Ireland Under-21 international had a successful spell in the Manchester City academy under Pep Guardiola
Ruud van Nistelrooy has turned to Corkman Brian Barry-Murphy in his efforts to build a backroom staff capable of steering Leicester City to Premier League survival.
According to reports in Echo Live, the highly-regarded Irishman has been hired as van Nistelrooy’s number two.
A former Cork City, Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, Bury and Rochdale midfielder, Murphy began his coaching career as manager of Rochdale in 2019, before moving to the Etihad under Pep Guardiola.
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There, he managed City’s under-21 side for three years, taking over from current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca and winning two Premier League 2 titles before his departure last July.
During his time at City, he was a backroom target for then-Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.
He explained the reason for his departure in an interview in September with The Athletic, when he said: “I’ve been pretty clear for a while that I wanted to move on.
“It might sound unusual, as I would sum up my period at Manchester City as the most insightful of my life in football, because of who I was working with.
“But also, I have this real want to go and test myself on my terms. You tell yourself, ‘Go on, then’, rather than stay there and be in awe of Pep, watch what he does and never use it for anything.
“I had a real instinctive feeling when I went to Man City that it was the right place at the right time; I have had the same feeling for over a year now.
“It sounds selfish but I have got what I wanted from that experience.”
Working closely with Guardiola, Barry-Murphy helped develop players such as Rico Lewis and current Chelsea star Cole Palmer.
After leaving City, he was linked with the vacant role at his former club Preston, but they opted for Paul Heckingbottom and Barry-Murphy stated that he did not hold talks about the job.
His new role with test the 46-year-old, as Leicester are currently just two points above the relegation zone, having won just three of their 17 Premier League games to date.
And it doesn’t get any easier over the Christmas and New Year period, with a game against leaders Liverpool on St Stephen’s Day, followed by the visit of Guardiola’s City on Sunday.
On January 4 the Foxes are away to Aston Villa, before they switch to FA Cup mode and a game at home to Championship side QPR on January 11.
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