When Rio Ferdinand bumped into Darren Fletcher in the Carrington gym recently while filming a feature on Manchester United for TV, he asked his former teammate the question he claimed all his mates wanted to know: ‘What, exactly, is your role then?’. It wasn’t aimed to belittle Fletcher or to downplay his contributions at United, but in football’s modern world of made-up job titles, technical director doesn’t really describe the former midfielder’s work within the confines of Carrington. This has been a talking point for a couple of years now, one that Fletcher attempted to nip in the bud with an explanation during Ralf Rangnick’s ill-fated spell, when he had the tracksuit on and became a more visible presence on matchday.. Now, he sits in the stands during games and reports down to the dugout, but he is still active at Carrington during training sessions. So when quizzed by Ferdinand for the TNT Sports feature, he referred to his job title but offered up a description that didn’t really fit.. ALSO READ: Ten Hag must start talking like a United manager after City comparison. ALSO READ: Mount might get the chance to respond to Chelsea chant for United. “Technical director is my title, but for me, I’m part of the first-team coaching staff, but as a support coach,” he said. “My link with the first team is a link for the under-21s, so the pathway of the young players training with the first team.”. As Ineos rip up the football structure at Old Trafford it remains to be seen where Fletcher is going to slot in, but his job title is now set to go to Jason Wilcox, with United approaching Southampton to appoint their director of football. With Dan Ashworth set to come in as sporting director, Wilcox will report to the former Newcastle executive as part of a new structure.. His exact role will need to be defined, but it is unlikely to have as prominent a focus on recruitment as he currently enjoys at St Mary’s, where he is highly valued. But the Premier League title winner with Blackburn Rovers has experience across a range of roles, having been academy director at Manchester City, where he worked with United’s incoming chief executive Omar Berrada. The pair were close at the Etihad and it is understood Berrada recommended Wilcox to United for a senior role.. He was credited with having a significant impact on the success of the academy, having also coached the under-18s. And when City considered releasing Cole Palmer at the age of 16, it was Wilcox who pushed for the club to keep him. He was also an old-school presence at City’s academy, insisting on players wearing black boots, thanking staff and ensuring people tidied up after themselves.. His experiences at City and Southampton show his versatility in recruitment and academy circles. Ineos’ desire to appoint him is their latest move in bringing best in class operators to overhaul their football structure, with Sir Dave Brailsford overseeing it.. That is likely to see changes internally as well, with new roles or departures for John Murtough and Fletcher. Wilcox might finally bring some clarity to the role of technical director.
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