The Foxes boss revealed he would be celebrating his debut victory with a beer
Ruud Van Nistelrooy beamed as Jamie Vardy scored in the dominant 3-1 win
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By JAMES SHARPE
Published: 19:23 EST, 3 December 2024 | Updated: 19:24 EST, 3 December 2024
Ruud Van Nistelrooy said he will celebrate his opening win with a beer after Jamie Vardy inspired Leicester City to victory over West Ham.
Vardy netted inside two minutes at the King Power Stadium with a trademark run and finish similar to the one made famous when he broke Van Nistelrooy's goalscoring record by scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games at the King Power Stadium nine years ago.
‘I don’t mention that,’ joked Van Nistelrooy after the game. 'The finish was calm, he makes it look easy.
‘A togetherness, a hunger and a spirit in this team that’s fighting for every inch is the foundation for us to play the rest of this Premier League season. I saw that completely with every player that started the game and every player that came on.
‘We have to build on that. Without that, it will be impossible to get where we want to go. I am very happy. I will get myself a little beer and reflect on the last three days.'
Van Nistelrooy's first win piled even more pressure on West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui who is now clinging to his job and faced chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ from the travelling supporters following the defeat, despite his side racking up 31 shots.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy said he will celebrate his opening Leicester win over West Ham with a beer
Van Nistelrooy was full of praise for Jamie Vardy after the veteran striker opened the scoring in the 3-1 win
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui insisted he was not aware of chants claiming he faces the sack
The Hammers boss said he was not aware of the chants – despite them ringing around the King Power Stadium – and insisted nor was he concerned about losing his job.
‘The only thing I am worried about now is my training session with the players tomorrow and preparing them for the next challenge,’ said Lopetegui.
‘I think that we deserved much more. We had 31 shots on goal, many, many chances and we didn’t score.
'We have to take more risks in the second half and they took advantage of this. We are very frustrated for the fans and for the players. They didn’t deserve this.'