The Last 10 Assistant Managers at Man United

Being the manager of Manchester United comes with a lot of unwanted scrutiny and pressure. However, over the years those in the dugout at Old Trafford have always had a right-hand man they converse with to help overcome the adversity they face.

The assistant managers at Man United have had varying levels of experience. Some are former players looking to pave a way for the start of their managerial careers, while others are experienced coaches who are given significant responsibilities.

Mike Phelan is the most notable name on the list, with the assistant manager having two stints at the club. However, these two experiences were in drastically different environments.

In his first stint at the club, Phelan was alongside Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline, leading the club to significant success, while his second spell came more recently with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was looking to rebuild the club during a difficult transitional period.

With that in mind, here is a look at the last 10 assistant managers at the Red Devils, as well as where they are now in their careers.

Rui Faria

Years as assistant manager: 2016-2018

It is no surprise that Rui Faria went on to become assistant manager at the Red Devils. He has followed Mourinho for the vast majority of his career, always as his number two, so he continued this trend when United appointed the ‘special one’.

Despite a somewhat promising start in Manchester, Faria left the club at the end of Mourinho’s second season. Having worked with Mourinho for 17 years, this came as quite a shock. However, the Portuguese coach admitted he left the club as he wanted to focus on his ambition of becoming a manager.

He did accomplish this ambition, becoming manager of Al-Duhail SC in January 2019. However, he was relieved of his duties just one year later and is currently without a club.

Mike Phelan

Years as assistant manager: 2008-2013 and 2018-2022

Mike Phelan will probably be the only coach in the club’s history to be assistant manager to four different head coaches during his two stints at the club. The ex-United player was probably Ferguson’s best-ever assistant and he was part of the coaching staff which saw the Premier League giants achieve significant success domestically.

After leaving the club, when Ferguson retired, he had spells as assistant manager at Norwich and Hull City and even became manager of the Tigers. He went on to become sporting director of Central Coast before returning with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2018 to Old Trafford.

The assistant manager was unable to replicate the success he had in his first spell at the club and he departed United when current boss Erik ten Hag took over.

Michael Carrick

Years as assistant manager: 2018-2021

Michael Carrick is a prime example of a player who decided to remain at Manchester United in some capacity once his playing days were over. Alongside Kieran McKenna, he was appointed to fill the void left by former assistant manager Rui Faria.

After a difficult start to the season, Mourinho was sacked with another former player in the form of Solskjaer returning to the club on an interim basis. Carrick was an essential part of Solskjaer’s coaching staff and the Englishman also had a brief spell in the dugout at Old Trafford in November 2021.

Despite an unbeaten record with United after four games, he left the club but continued his managerial career at Championship Middlesbrough. Carrick has had a sensational impact in the Championship, guiding the club to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup last season for the first time since 2004.

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Kieran McKenna

Years as assistant manager: 2018-2021

In 2016, Kieran McKenna began his Manchester United career as the club’s under-18s manager. Following a successful period in this role, he was promoted to the first-team coaching staff under Mourinho’s orders.

Like Carrick, he retained his position when Solskjaer took charge and also continued his role as assistant manager under Rangnick. However, in 2021, he was appointed as the manager of League One side Ipswich Town, putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Since then, he has guided Ipswich to the Premier League with consecutive promotions with a possession-heavy style of play.

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Ewan Sharp

Years as assistant manager: 2021-2022

Ewan Sharp joined the club after being recommended by interim boss Ralph Rangnick. He joined as assistant manager and as an analyst following the departures of coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.

Rangnick first encountered Sharp at New York Red Bulls and therefore thought that his insight could help transform a struggling Man United side. Following a rather unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford, he went to rivals Leeds United, where he became assistant manager of Jesse Marsch.

He outlasted Marsch, who was sacked after just 25 matches, but is working as number two to the American, who is now manager of Canada.

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Chris Armas

Years as assistant manager: 2021-2022

Chris Armas had a very brief spell in Manchester and he was brought in by Rangnick, who recommended the United hierarchy to bring him in to help alleviate the club’s issues on the pitch. His appointment did come as a surprise and this was because the former USA midfielder had been out of work for several months after leaving Toronto.

Armas and Rangnick had worked together before for Red Bull-affiliated clubs but like many others on this list, they were unable to replicate their success in England. He followed compatriot Jesse Marsch to Leeds United in 2023, but by the end of the year he was appointed as the manager of Colorado and he still remains in this position.

Steve McClaren

Years as assistant manager: 1999-2001 and 2022-2024

Steve McClaren, who served as Alex Ferguson’s number two back in 1999, returned to the Red Devils as assistant manager in the summer of 2022 when Ten Hag was appointed as the club’s new manager. His impressive CV and the fact that he had already worked in a winning environment at the club made him the perfect candidate to translate Ten Hag’s tactical methods to the current squad.

Unlike his first stint at the club, United have had more turbulent seasons in recent times, although McClaren has seen the team win both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in his second spell as assistant manager.

However, this summer, the 63-year-old was demoted to first-team coach following the arrival of two new assistants. In July, McClaren left his role to take over as manager of the Jamaica national team.

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Mitchell van der Gaag

Years as assistant manager: 2022-2024

Mitchell van der Gaag has worked with current Man United boss Ten Hag for numerous years. They worked closely together at Ajax where they created one of the most exciting and potent teams in football. He moved to England with his Dutch colleagues, hoping to emulate their Ajax success at another one of the biggest clubs in the world.

The 52-year-old was well-liked by the current squad and was praised for his work in his first season in England, a season in which the Ten Hag’s side came third in the league and reached two domestic finals. Van der Gaag was able to communicate in five different languages and this helped him settle in with the diverse United squad during his first season at the club.

However, this summer, under the instruction of INEOS, van der Gaag was let go by the club. Ten Hag’s trusted number two was replaced by Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, as the club reshuffled the coaching staff under this new regime.

Rene Hake

Years as assistant manager: 2024-Present

Rene Hake, who was brought in this summer by the club, has performed in various different roles during his coaching career. He has acted as a director of football, manager and assistant manager at both academy and senior levels in a variety of different leagues.

His diverse CV provided positive signals to the INEOS leadership at Man United and subsequently, he joined as a second assistant manager. The 52-year-old led Go Ahead Eagles to a ninth spot in the Dutch league last season, their best finish since the 1970s. After impressing in youth roles at Emmen and Twente, he had his first stint as head coach at Emmen in 2010.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Years as assistant manager: 2024-Present

Fan and player favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy made a sensational return to the club this summer, having played under the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson from 2001 to 2006, but this time as an assistant manager.

After hanging up his boots in 2012, the striker began his coaching career as an assistant for the Dutch national team. He then rose through the ranks at PSV Eindhoven, working his way up from assistant manager of the academy side all the way to manager of the senior team in an eight-year period.

As manager of PSV, he won the KNVB and Johan Cruyff Shield but left the club in May 2023. Fast-forward to the present day, he is now working alongside Hake as Ten Hag’s assistant manager, with the coaching staff looking to take United back to their glory days.

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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 16/10/2024