Ruud van Nistelrooy has been harshly put in his place by former Leicester City striker Odsonne Edouard.
The French attacker endured a miserable loan spell with the Foxes last season, where he insists the Dutchman – dismissed in June – ‘blocked’ him from featuring.
That meant the relegated club forked out £2.5million, plus a hefty share of his £90,000-a-week salary, for him to make only four Premier League appearances.
He also made two more outings in the EFL Cup as the former champions were immediately sent back down to the Championship.
Edouard had found it difficult to reproduce his prolific Celtic form after swapping Glasgow for Crystal Palace, though he still managed a respectable tally of 21 goals in 105 matches, many of which came from the bench.
However, Edouard was never truly given an opportunity by Van Nistelrooy, who succeeded Steve Cooper in November 2024, despite Leicester netting just 33 times across 38 fixtures.
The 27-year-old forward has since departed Crystal Palace and signed for Ligue 1 outfit Lens.
There, he’s experiencing a resurgence, having scored three goals in his last three games — including a penalty in a 2-1 triumph over high-flying Marseille.
The victory lifts them into second place in the standings, just one point adrift of Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
Edouard has hit back at the lack of opportunities afforded to him by Van Nistelrooy during his stint at Leicester.
And he argues that simply because the Dutchman had a legendary playing career at Manchester United and Real Madrid, it doesn’t automatically make him a top manager.
“Being been a great striker doesn’t necessarily mean being a great coach,’ Edouard told L’Equipe.
“After training, I would do an even harder session with my fitness coach. I didn’t give up.
“Leicester, it had a professional impact on me. I don’t really have any reasons.
“At the beginning, I played a little [under Steve Cooper], then things didn’t work out with Van Nistelrooy.
“I didn’t get along well with Van Nistelrooy. I found myself blocked for seven months without playing.”
The Dutchman clearly didn’t appear to rate Edouard, but his new manager has shown full confidence in his ability to thrive in France.
Lens head coach Pierre Sage told La Voix du Nord before his recent scoring streak: “Believe me, you have not yet seen anything of Odsonne and what we see every day.
“He is an extraordinary striker. I am very proud that he is with us, very happy. And I can tell you: fasten your seatbelt, because he is a hell of a striker!
“He (Sima) deserves to have more playing time. As for Odsonne, we will see after the fifteen days of [international break] how he will be. But he was valuable in our game and his release also cost us a lot.”