McGuinness' Moyes Revelation

United's Academy head coach Paul McGuinness has revealed that the club has been aware of David Moyes' managerial potential since back in the mid-nineties.

McGuinness was alerted to the Scot's coaching skills during a course they attended together and was urged by Sir Alex Ferguson to approach the then-Preston defender. However, the timing was wrong and it has taken nine years for Moyes to end up at Old Trafford.

In an exclusive interview with ManUtd.com, McGuinness backed the Everton manager's arrival and admits he expects Sir Alex to still be a regular attendee at the youth matches next term.

"David Moyes has probably watched our youths a lot and the Reserves," he stated. "You see him at Under-21 games. One point about David that nobody really knows is I was the first one to try and get him here as a coach.

"I was on a full-badge coaching course with him and he stood out. He’d already done his coaching badges in Scotland but was still a player at Preston. He really stood out for me and the manager gave me the job as a director of the Centre of Excellence, where we needed coaches for the teams. I asked the manager and he said he knew his dad and knew David. He said why don’t you ask him so I rang him up and he said: ‘I would love to, I’m really flattered but, this week, I’m going to be made assistant-player manager of Preston’.

"So I said: ‘Alright, thank you very much’ and that was when I got Warren Joyce involved for the first time. I think he was at Burnley at that time as a player. He took the Under-16s with the likes of Wes Brown, Richie Wellens and Adam Griffin, these types of good players. So it was a good choice there as they have both been successful managers – Warren has obviously come back to us again after being a manager and David Moyes will be coming here. Obviously I’m a good judge of the managers!"

Moyes may have the toughest of acts to follow but McGuinness is convinced he will prove to be the right choice as Sir Alex's successor.

"You talk about it being a family club and my feeling on it is the manager has just got one of his relatives down from Scotland to take over," he explained. "That is how it feels - someone with the same beliefs, values and work ethic. Obviously he’s got to be his own man and will have to do things his own way but it will be another exciting period for the club to have some new slants on things. But I’m sure he will retain the same family values and the same values of the club."

Although Sir Alex will be missed, his presence at the recent Legends match against Real Madrid hints that he is likely to still be watching a lot of football in his retirement.

"I would like to think the manager will have to still come to the games," insisted McGuinness. "I’m not sure what he’s on about with the horse racing and going on an odd trip because it’s going to be interesting to see how he does.

"Each year, he’s won a trophy nearly every season, and each time, straight away, you get the feeling, for us too, that you have the celebrations and then it’s a bit flat. For the manager, then it's all over, straight on to the next project. That’s out of the way and the real enjoyment is all the work leading up to it. You have a brief celebration and then work again to start afresh. He’s been phenomenal doing that.

"He’s never rested on his laurels and this year will be an unbelievable experience for him – the first year he stops and is not driving for something. He will have to fill his time and I’m sure he will come and watch the youth teams and support everyone. That will be a massive inspiration to everybody as it always has been."