Ruud van Nistelrooy revealed during his inaugural Leicester City conference on Monday that he spoke to Enzo Maresca before accepting the manager’s job at the King Power Stadium.
Indeed, the former Manchester United striker admitted that he hit the phones to find out about the City players whom he will send out in his first game against West Ham United this evening.
He also spoke of his friendship with former Foxes boss Maresca, who guided the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking last season.
Now pulling up trees with Chelsea, the Italian added his side of the conversation as the Blues prepare for City’s relegation rivals Southampton.
"Ruud is a friend of mine,” Maresca said. “I said here before we faced Manchester United. He called me days ago before he took over there. We had a conversation and I told him Leicester is a fantastic club, first of all because there are fantastic people. For sure, it's a good club. In the end, he decided to go. This was our conversation."
Maresca faced Saints boss Russell Martin in the Championship last term, the Foxes took the title as Southampton came up through the play-off. Martin recalled those clashes, which City won 4-1 and 5-0.
“Enzo’s done a great job. I have got a lot of respect for him and what he did at Leicester last season,” Martin said.
“Sometimes the hardest thing for a coach to do is to take another team and make it his own and look very similar in such quick time, which he has done.
“He has a really talented group of players, but he has managed to get them to buy into his way of doing things his way of working and his way of playing.”
Will City finish ahead of Southampton? Have your say here
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Premier League