'It worked' - Ruud van Nistelrooy reveals key change Leicester made against Manchester United

Ruud van Nistelrooy used his insider knowledge of Manchester United to tailor his game plan against them in the FA Cup fourth round.

Leicester were controversially beaten 2-1 at Old Trafford on Friday night when defender Harry Maguire headed in a last-second winner from an offside position. Bobby De Cordova-Reid had given Leicester the lead in the match before Joshua Zirkzee and Maguire turned the game on its head in the second-half.

Van Nistelrooy had defeated Leicester twice during his reign as United interim head coach earlier in the season and he gave United their toughest test against the Foxes yet on his return to Old Trafford. If not for a poor officiating decision, Leicester might have secured a famous away win and after the game Van Nistelrooy explained how he adjusted their tactical approach for the match.

"We had some different details in pressing, the set up was slightly different, the way we pressed over on our right side and our left side and we forced the ball to the side. It was slightly different and it worked because we got pressure on them to force them to the sides. Second half they had solutions, with Bruno dropping in really deep. For us it is not a problem, leaving him out of our block. I think the players handled the different situations really well and came with different movement from the wings and the 10s. The communication was excellent."

There were mixed emotions for Van Nistelrooy on his first return to Old Trafford since he was let go by Amorim, with the controversial manner of the defeat hard to ignore. He had looked to avoid any sentiment ahead of the match but admitted he could finally reflect on the poignant occasion once the dust had settled.

He added: "I was so determined and focused to perform here as a team that I really blanked everything out. Driving here I completely blanked it all out, I wanted to focus on my team. Now when things sink in, you think it is always special to come here. It is a privilege and our own fans were supporting us in a great way."