Manchester United have had a shake-up of things behind the scenes, with a new manager set to come to supercharge the club.
While Ruben Amorim has failed to turn things around following Erik ten Hag’s disastrous spell in charge at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have decided that a managerial change is required for the academy.
To that end, they have elected to appoint Darren Fletcher as their figurehead of the U18 team in a bid to inject some Man Utd DNA back into the club. Fletcher, a former Scotland international midfielder, featured nearly 350 times for the Red Devils across 13 seasons.
Following the surprise departure of Adam Lawrence, Fletcher has been earmarked as the ideal replacement. He is seen as an ideal link between the first team and the academy setup, having gone through that system himself as a player.
Now the Scot wants to explore a career in management, and the door is open to the Man Utd U18 side. Previously, the presence of his twins Jack and Tyler being in the academy had made him reluctant to take a role.
Man Utd make official announcement
Man Utd have also confirmed that Jonny Evans will become the club’s head of loans and pathways.
Evans has formally announced his retirement as a player but will now go into this position as he works towards completing his UEFA A licence.
Director of football Jason Wilcox told the club’s official website: “Having just finished his exceptional playing career, Jonny is the perfect role model for our young players.
“Jonny’s knowledge of what it takes to succeed at Manchester United will be of great benefit to each of them as we continue to develop world-class talent capable of performing in our first team.”
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