‘I witnessed Sir Alex Ferguson dismantle a Manchester United legend – He was really furious, to the point that he implemented a stringent new regulation.’

Ruud Van Nistelrooy was a member of the Manchester United side that had a surprising 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in 2002.
The Dutchman’s tenure at Old Trafford was jeopardised when he entered the dressing room wearing a City shirt.
Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his extreme anger by explicitly informing the players that they were prohibited from exchanging jerseys with their opponents in any future encounters.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy has returned to Manchester United as the newly appointed assistant manager under Erik ten Hag, with fellow Dutchman Rene Hake. Following his successful integration into his new position during the pre-season, where players have reportedly reacted well to his training techniques, he will make a comeback to Wembley Stadium on Saturday when the Red Devils face Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Van Nistelrooy’s first objective will be to ensure that his team performs well and secures a victory. However, the next derby match may evoke unpleasant recollections for the 48-year-old. 23 years ago, the striker had his first loss in a Manchester Derby, and the events that followed almost resulted in the termination of his Manchester United career.

Ferdinand provides specific information on Van Nistelrooy’s hairdryer.

The prolific scorer was reprimanded for exchanging jerseys with the other team.

In the decisive match of 2002, Manchester United suffered a 3-1 loss at Maine Road, with Shaun Goater scoring two goals and Nicolas Anelka adding another. Following a humiliating outcome and display, Sir Alex Ferguson entered the dressing room after the match with intense anger and ready to launch one of his renowned verbal outbursts.

The one who experienced the most impact from this situation was Van Nistelrooy, who entered the changing room wearing a blue jersey instead of a red one, since he had exchanged shirts with one of his adversaries. Former defender Rio Ferdinand recounted his initial encounter with the intense rivalry match, describing how Ferguson responded when his star striker entered wearing a City shirt.

“We were defeated 3-1 at Maine Road, with Shaun Goater netting two goals.” That was my inaugural derby match, and it was in the changing room afterwards that I truly grasped its immense significance.

“Upon entering, we proceeded into the room and the manager promptly closed the door.” The atmosphere was tranquil, until unexpectedly he burst forth with great intensity. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was highly revered at the time, entered with a City shirt in his possession, and I distinctly recall Sir Alex Ferguson vehemently expressing his disapproval towards him. He completely defeated him, stating: ‘If I ever witness any of you associating with a City shirt in the future, you will be permanently excluded from playing for our club.’

“That was his demeanour, he was simply furious.” At that moment, I pondered: ‘Is this a significant endeavour?’ Prior to that game, I was unaware of the significance, but since then, I have come to understand that the week preceding a derby is a make-or-break situation, regardless of the outcome.

Gary Neville, who served as the captain during the encounter, confirmed the allegation and stated that the locker room became utterly quiet. In addition, he observed the emergence of a new regulation at that very moment, stipulating that players would be prohibited from exchanging shirts in the future.

Neville Provides a Detailed Account of His Subpar Performance Against City
The defender was responsible for one of the goals and was replaced early in the game.
Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand
United’s loss against City was a significant setback during their 2002/03 season, which ultimately ended with them winning the Premier League title. Years later, Gary Neville would admit that it was one of the most challenging moments in his career.

Although AI regards Neville as the greatest right-back in Premier League history, his performance on that day was one of the most disappointing in his career. Subsequently, he has expressed the extent to which it adversely affected his self-assurance during that period:

“I am constantly reminded of that Goater moment, and it is difficult for me to escape from it.” That was the one game in which I suffered defeat versus Manchester City. I recall that it started in a manner reminiscent of a festive funfair, akin to a circus taking place within the confines of the stadium.

“Roy Keane was absent from the match, so I assumed the role of captain for Manchester United for the first time on that day. This responsibility weighed on my thoughts, and during an interview that week, I made the statement, ‘I have never experienced defeat in a derby match’.” The text provided was the title. Initially, we were experiencing a deficit, but then we managed to achieve parity. However, I committed an error which ultimately led to my downfall.

“The boss displayed a tendency towards aggression on certain occasions.” He instructed me to leave the pitch after the first half, and then replaced me with another player three or four minutes into the second half, which required me to exit in front of the spectators. Upon returning home that evening, I consumed alcohol. I had acquired bottles of alcohol and found myself alone at my residence in Bolton.

“Subsequently, on Tuesday, he summoned me to his office and deliberately excluded me from participating in the Champions League match against Leverkusen during the middle of the week. Furthermore, he did not reinstate me for a period of 10 days.” I encountered difficulties for a little while following that.