Rio Ferdinand to Man United EXCLUSIVE: David Moyes says ‘anyone’ can be a sporting director as Red Devils legend linked with job

Rio Ferdinand to Man United EXCLUSIVE: David Moyes says ‘anyone’ can be a sporting director as Red Devils legend linked with job
David Moyes says anyone can be a sporting director amid reports linking Rio Ferdinand with the post at Manchester United.Ferdinand is allegedly frontrunner to be United’s first ever technical director with Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vice-chairman, keen to introduce the role over the summer.Woodward plans to restructure the club’s management team with someone brought in to oversee transfers after a number of questionable deals over the past few years.Ferdinand was reported to be favourite for the position earlier this week, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, wants someone familiar with the club to be hired.2

Ferdinand is being tipped to rejoin Man United in a senior role

Solskjaer is said to himself favour his current assistant manager Mike Phelan for the role, despite his lack of experience; Phelan’s only time serving as a technical director was with Australian side Central Coast Mariners before his return to Old Trafford towards the end of last year.Still, Phelan’s somewhat limited experience in this particular field is more than Ferdinand has.The former Red Devils defender has been out of football completely since his 2015 retirement, instead joining the world of punditry in his post-playing career. This lack of experience hardly matters when it comes to being a sporting director, however, ex-United manager David Moyes claims.“I think anyone can be a technical director now,” the Scot told talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.“Ive had a lot of analysts who are now in charge of football clubs, who have worked their way up the ladder and become heads of recruitment or technical directors.

Man United's sporting director search - the candidates

Ten individuals are understood to be on Woodward's shortlist for the position of sporting director, but who are they? talkSPORT.com take a look...

• Rio Ferdinand
• Eric Cantona
• Gary Neville
• Fabio Paratici
• Paul Mitchell
• John Murtagh
• Edwin van der Sar
• Paul Scholes
• Micahel Zorc
• Peter Schmeichel

“I think youve got to pick somebody who suits the club.“Its got to be somebody who can work with the manager.“Ultimately things dont change you tend to find the manager will always have the final say.“So whatever happens, the manager has to have the final say.2

Moyes lasted just 10 months in charge of Manchester United

“But it is [the technical director’s] job to help the ease the workload youve got.”United are behind the times when it comes to their lack of sporting director, with nearly all clubs having someone in the position.However, the Red Devils never needed one when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, and Moyes believes managers are starting to do more and more work – necessitating the appointment of an individual to share the workload.He continued: “[A sporting director] wasnt needed when it was Sir Alex and David Gill [United’s former chief executive] – they ran the club themselves, made all the right decisions and did a great job.

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“I dont think its always necessary, but the managers do need a bit more support because there seems to be a lot more extra work.“At Manchester United you have a lot of work to do.”

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