MANCHESTER UNITED look ready to bring old boy Michael Appleton into their backroom staff.
The 48-year-old was at United as a kid before moving to Preston, then becoming a top coach.
Now Old Trafford’s new supremo Dan Ashworth is poised to appoint him to the transfer team with responsibility for loans.
Former Tranmere physio and manager Les Parry holds the position but he is set to be replaced.
Appleton worked with Ashworth at West Brom and is among his proteges.
He was given a chance to come through as a coach at the Hawthorns under his mentor and they have a very close relationship.
The pair also have strong links through FA circles so it would be no surprise to see them working together again — even if it is a new direction for Appleton.
It would be his first administrative job but he has a good knowledge of United’s rising stars and the right contacts to find them homes.
Appleton was appointed as Charlton boss last September, eight months after being sacked by Blackpool.
But the 48-year-old was sacked by the Championship side just 30 minutes after their defeat to Northampton in January.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
Before joining Charlton, Appleton enjoyed spells in charge of Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn, Oxford United and Lincoln City.
He was also Craig Shakespeare‘s assistant manager at Leicester City for a brief spell in 2017.
However, the midfielder first shot to fame during his Man Utd days.
Appleton joined the Red Devils as a teenager and earned his first professional contract in 1994 after impressing academy coaches.
He was loaned to Wimbledon and Lincoln the following season to get first-team experience and eventually returned to Old Trafford in 1996 to make his senior debut.
After playing just 90 minutes in total for Man Utd, Appleton moved to Preston North End in 1997.
He then joined West Brom, where he spent the final two years of his career before retiring.
MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from Old Trafford
