Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka got the goals as Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a dream start to his new role shortly after his departure from Manchester United. "On a long-term basis we know the performances need to get better. But the spirit and how we want to do things we saw today because, if not, the Premier League is too brutal," said Van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman said he had been "astonished" by the number of offers he received after a four-game spell as interim United boss, which included two wins over Leicester. A lethal finisher in his playing days, Van Nistelrooy watched on approvingly as Vardy opened the scoring after just 99 seconds at the King Power.
The 37-year-old had initially been flagged offside, but a VAR review showed he was clearly on for his fifth goal of the season.