New Manchester United boss David Moyes is set for Old Trafford success after being hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson, claims former star Quinton Fortune.
The South African, a Premier League winner during his time at Old Trafford, believes the most successful manager in British history had a big role in bringing Moyes to the club.
And Fortune exclusively told MM he is confident that after overachieving at Goodison Park on a tight budget, the Scot will follow in Ferguson’s footsteps.
“The boss has had a big part in bringing in Moyes,” he explained. “That’s very important as he could have just left everything unresolved.
“So if Ferguson played a role in getting someone likes Moyes then I’m ok with that. He’s got the experience and he’s been in the game longer than anyone else.
“What Moyes has done with the players at Everton, which no disrespect to Everton, was impressive but he now has top, top players.
“The boss said at the end of the season to give Moyes a chance, so we will be patient with him and I’m sure he will do a good job.”
Fortune was at United’s Carrington training ground days before Ferguson’s announcement, and was shocked to see the Scot retire after a league title and having built a team full of potential.
“It was massive shock for all of us,” he added. “Never in a million years did we think he’d go, especially after winning the league and signing Robin van Persie.
“He has Danny Welbeck coming through, Tom Cleverly, he’s signed Shinji Kagawa and was unlucky in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
“You think maybe we could push on next season and get to the next level, to the final – I had no idea, I saw him the week before at training and he was normal, he was fine and looking good.
“Then the next week he’s gone and we’re thinking, ‘what are we going to do now?’ it’ll take us a while to get over as the manager’s been here for 26, nearly 27, years.”
However, the 36-year-old – whose last stint in English football came with Doncaster Rovers – believes Moyes will not have to go splashing the cash in the transfer market and should focus on the current talent in the Red Devils dressing room.
“There are always good players linked to United,” he said. “But he’s got great players there at the moment and with world class players on his hands, as a young manager, he’ll do well.
“It is sad to see the manager not there, because that’s all we’ve known, but you look at the way football’s changing now.
“He’s been there all his life, I’m sure he’s looking forward to spending some time with his family.”
Fortune was part of the Red Heart United side which lost to a Real Madrid Legends XI during a charity match at Old Trafford recently.
“We were defending for almost 90 minutes,” he joked. “But it was for a great cause.
“It was unbelievable – Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Fernando Morientes, and they had Luis Figo, last year they had Roberto Carlos and Fernando Redondo.
“Zidane was a joke, it was literally like watching him on the Playstation! If I was the owner of a top club I would still buy Zidane, he’s unbelievable still – out of this world.”
Image courtesy of Madridismo, via YouTube, with thanks.
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