Ruud Van Nistelrooy, born in Oss, Holland, on 1 June 1976, is one of Europe's best forwards and a Champions League veteran. He's the complete package, combining effectiveness, power, and outstanding technique. Van Nistelrooy is one of the most feared attackers of the world of football, and he's virtually impossible to stop when he's in top form, confident, and going through a good patch. His goal average with the Dutch national team is one strike every two matches, having scored nearly 50 goals with the Orange. The average only rises with the Clubs he has played for, with 62 goals in 67 matches with PSV Eindhoven, and over 20 goals a season in four of the five campaigns with Manchester United.
Van Nistelrooy began his road to stardom in 1993 playing for FC Den Bosch, in Holland's second division, where he played as an attacking midfielder behind the team's two forwards. He remained with the team for four years before moving on to a first division team, Heerenveen. In his first season in Holland's top flight, Van Nistelrooy had a fantastic year, scoring 13 goals over 30 matches, catching the eye of PSV Eindhoven, who decided to buy the 22-year old forward.
He didn't disappoint in his first season with PSV, becoming the team's best player and the top scorer of the Dutch League. His 31 goals earned him the Silver Boot award and a spot on his national team. His amazing form continued the following year, with 29 League goals by mid-March. However, he then suffered a serious injury, the worst point of his professional career.
PSV had already reached an agreement to transfer him to Manchester United, but Van Nistelrooy suffered a knee injury in a friendly against Silkeborg. One month later, while recovering from the first injury, he tore the cruciate ligament of his right leg after falling down. In spite of his injury, he repeated as Holland's best player and Europe's Silver Boot winner.
Van Nistelrooy didn't play football for one year and many questioned his return to the game. However, his goal scoring capacity with Manchester United silenced all doubts. His two strikes in his English debut against Fulham were just the beginning. He has scored dozens of goals for the Red Devils ever since, both in the Premiership and in the Champions League, a competition in which he has been named Best Player on two occasions and always placed among the top scorers every year.
His highest achievement in England came during the 2002/03 season when Manchester United won the Premiership. The following year, his team won the English Cup, the oldest trophy in European football. Van Nistelrooy's two goals in the final against Millwall decided the match. The Dutch star has been Manchester United's attacking cornerstone for years.
At the age of 22, on 18 November 1998, Van Nistelrooy made his debut with the Dutch national team drawing against Germany one goal a piece. He scored his first goal with the Orange against Morocco. Due to his serious injury, Van Nistelrooy was unable to play in the 2000 European Cup co-hosted by his native country, nor did he play the 2002 World Cup as the Netherlands didn't even qualify. He did participate, however, in the 2004 European Cup in Portugal, where the Dutch team reached the semi-finals. The Orange only qualified for the competition thanks to the hat-trick of 'Van The Man' against Scotland in the play-offs. His team reached the Round of 16 of the 2006 German World Cup, but Holland was eliminated yet again by Portugal.
Now, in 2006, Van Nistelrooy joins Real Madrid, a team with some of the most dangerous fire power in Europe. Ruud will join players like Ronaldo and Raúl to form one of the most devastating attacks on the old continent.
