Ruud van Nistelrooy’s name has been the headlines of late for the stellar job he did while in interim charge of Manchester United, but to most, he will always be best known as one of the deadliest finishers in recent memory.

Whether it was the Eredivisie, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, or LaLiga, the Dutchman was near unstoppable in front of goal.

After leaving Manchester United in 2006, van Nistelrooy signed for Real Madrid, where he was reunited with old teammate David Beckham at first. His 25 league goals helped Real to a first title in four years, and saw him win the Pichichi trophy for top scorer, like he had done in England and his home country prior.

He hit another 21 for Los Blancos, either side of a serious knee injury, and finished off his career in Malaga, scoring four more times to bring up the 50.

Enjoy them all here.

Before Haaland and Gyökeres, there was van Nistelrooy, and what a player he was.

📸 PHILIPPE DESMAZES – 2007 AFP