Ruud van Nistelrooy , stepping into the shoes of Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium.

The decision comes after Cooper was abruptly let go on Sunday, having lost the confidence of his players following just 12 games in charge. The final straw for Foxes chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to .

Van Nistelrooy, 48, joins Leicester after leaving in the aftermath of and the arrival of Ruben Amorim. The ex-United striker had returned to Old Trafford in the summer - previously managing former club PSV Eindhoven - and stayed on as caretaker boss post-Ten Hag's exit.

However, with new manager Amorim bringing fresh ideas and wanting a clean slate, Van Nistelrooy also left - despite his desire to stay. Van Nistelrooy, who turned down an offer to manage Burnley in the summer, remained unbeaten in four matches as interim United manager.

Another former club, Hamburg, expressed interest in him as their new coach, but the idea of joining the second-tier German team didn't appeal to the former Dutch striker.

Leicester's latest signing has got the seal of approval from the top, as club owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha couldn't hide his delight on Friday. He said: "It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City. He joins a club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together.

"Ruud's experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club."

Van Nistelrooy added: "I'm proud, I'm excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic. They have great stories about the quality of the people working at the club, the supporters and, of course, the recent history of the club is impressive. I'm excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the football club."