Ruud van Nistelrooy won his first game in charge in the United dugoutCredit: Reuters

Sir Alex Ferguson watched United beat Leicester -2 at Old Trafford on WednesdayCredit: Rex

When the Red Devils play Tottenham in the quarter-finals in December, they will likely be led by Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.

Van Nistelrooy, who is set to face Chelsea on Sunday, unsurprisingly turned to his former boss Ferguson for advice before Leicester’s visit.

The pair fell out leading to Van Nistelrooy’s exit back in 2006 but have long since made up.

He said: “Yes I spoke to him, and he wished me luck. We talked about my situation and the team.

“Most of all he wished me luck. It is always great to speak to him.”

Van Nistelrooy, 48, was then asked if he ever thought he would be back at United in these circumstances after the way he left 18 years ago.

And the Dutchman replied: “No, at the time I wasn’t thinking about that, to manage.

“I left in 2006 for Real Madrid to perform and to play and to get the most out of yourself as a player.

Van Nistelrooy was hired on Ten Hag’s coaching stuff in the summer

Van Nistelrooy’s 2 Prem goals helped Man Utd to claim the title as he won the Golden Boot and Player of the Season awardCredit: Action Images – Reuters

Van Nistelrooy’s explosive fallout with Fergie’s came after the striker was an unused substitute during United’s 4-0 League Cup final triumph over Wigan in 2006.

Tensions flared again when the Dutchman was left out of the squad for United’s 4-0 win over Charlton on the last game of the season.

He previously told the Overlap podcast: “I started pre-season but you knew he was moving on without me and putting the future of the club into other players so that was clear.”

Van Nistelrooy also revealed he called Ferguson to apologise, on the advice of his wife, in 2011 to patch things up.

Despite making 219 appearances for United and scoring 10 goals over five years, Van Nistelrooy admitted it was strange to find himself in the role Ferguson fulfilled when he was playing.

He told a press conference on Thursday: “My team talk, I’m standing in front of the team, telling them about what Manchester United is all about.

“What it is to play at Old Trafford, what songs are being sung by the fans and why.

“You try to transmit that lovely feeling of playing for this club. It’s a proud moment to do that and to share that with players.