Manchester United appoint Mike Phelan as assistant manager

Mike Phelan has been confirmed as Manchester United's assistant manager on a three-year contract.

The 56-year-old had been working as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's backroom staff since December and has now agreed a permanent deal.

Phelan had been touted as a candidate for the role of director of football at Old Trafford, but United confirmed on Friday he would continue to assist Solskjaer with the day-to-day running of the first team.

"He walks around Carrington and players really respect him," Solskjaer told a media conference ahead of United's final Premier League game of 2018-19 at home to Cardiff City on Sunday.

"They know what he can do and he's worked with the best. I'm a young manager, I still feel I'm young anyway, and Mick's got more experience in a few areas than I have.

"I've been a player under [Phelan] and his knowledge, his experience, his demeanour; everyone in the club enjoys speaking to him, talking to him, discussing football with him."

Solskjaer's decision to name Phelan as his right-hand man in December was seen as a smart choice, with the latter having previously served as Alex Ferguson's assistant from 2008 to 2013, following a seven-year spell as first-team coach.

Phelan has also previously managed in the Premier League with Hull City but was sacked in January 2017 after less than three months in permanent charge.

He took up a sporting director role with A-League club Central Coast Mariners in July 2018, where he remained under contract.

The Mariners said on Thursday that they were unaware whether Phelan would stay on at Old Trafford or return to Australia at the end of the campaign.