Mick Phelan was promoted to the role of assistant manager on 3 September 2008, having served the Reds as first team coach since 2001.

Phelan is probably best known for his playing career with United. The Reds signed him for £750,000 in the summer of 1989, after he captained Norwich City to fourth place in the top flight and the FA Cup semi-finals.

He won his first England cap upon joining the Reds and ended his first season with an FA Cup winners' medal. A year later he was an integral part of the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup winning side. He also won the League Cup (1992) and

Premier League (1993).

Phelan left United in 1994, joining West Brom as a player. In December 1995 he returned to Norwich as assistant manager, later moving to Blackpool and Stockport County. He rejoined United as reserve team manager in the summer of 1999 and was promoted to first team coach when Steve McClaren left to manage Middlesbrough in 2001.

He worked alongside several of Sir Alex’s assistant managers, namely Jim Ryan, Walter Smith and Carlos Queiroz, before taking up the post himself early in the 2008/09 season.