Solskjaer replacement: Look for winners not ex-United players - Neville

Gary Neville believes that Manchester United do not need to appoint another former player to the vacant position of the club's new coach.

Neville suggested that while an understanding of the club's values and willingness to adhere to them should be qualities that the new manager possesses, the club should cast their net wide in the search of a new manager.

A former Manchester United player himself, Neville pointed out that both Liverpool and Manchester City have found value in coaches who are not former players but who nevertheless understood the ethos of the clubs. Neville referred to the success and commitment of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola at their respective clubs as the blueprint that United needs to follow in appointing a new manager.

Neville told Sky Sports: "This ex-player in football thing that you mentioned, that isn't for me, I'm not interested in that. I've called for the values of Manchester United to be adhered to, what I've not called for is ex-players have to be the ones that adhere to it."

The football pundit also referenced the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought tremendous success to United despite not being an Englishman. 

"I'm sure Liverpool fans think Jurgen Klopp is absolutely adhering to the values and principles of Liverpool, the city, the football club and he's not from Liverpool. Sir Alex Ferguson did it 25 to 30 years ago from Aberdeen not as a Mancunian, he came down as a Glaswegian but he understood, he embedded himself into the city," the 46-year-old said.

The one-time Valencia coach further explained that United need its managers, executives, and owners to commit to the city and the club, whilst not sacrificing commercial success for on-pitch success. Neville pointed to Guardiola's and Ferran Soriano's (Manchester City CEO) numerous investments in Manchester as an example of football figures who are committed to the club and the city. 

"Pep Guardiola has invested in restaurants [in Manchester], [Ferran] Soriano the CEO — I live three doors down from — he's invested in restaurants. They've invested in places, they've bought apartments, they've invested into the city," Neville stated.

"Manchester United needs owners, executives, football people who will commit to this city, understand the city and also be capable of delivering the results that Manchester United deserve which is being the best in class and the new CEO has to step into the job and he has to be clinical and he has to make sure he isn't thought of the same as Ed Woodward would be thought of at the end of his football reign.

"He may have done a good job on the football side, he may have grown the revenues, he may have grown the commercial activity of the club — and that's great, no Manchester United fan doesn't want the club to earn a lot of revenue because they want that invested back in the team - but they also want people on the football side that can deliver success, that's not happened."

Manchester United are in search of an interim manager after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left his position following a dismal run of form. Zinedine Zidane, Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag, and Mauricio Pochettino have all been linked with the United job on a permanent basis, but there are rumours that ex-players like Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick might also be considered for the job.