Sir Jim Ratcliffe risks wrath of Man Utd stars with final decision on key Erik ten Hag ally

Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy is set to leave the club at the end of the month when his contract expires.

McCarthy, who played in the Premier League for Blackburn and West Ham, is a lifelong United fan who joined Erik ten Hag's coaching staff in 2022 after stints managing Cape Town City and AmaZulu in his native South Africa.

However, he is now set to leave his role as a first-team coach and will pursue his managerial ambitions, with it previously reported that United would not be offering him a contract extension. According to the Athletic, McCarthy had a positive relationship with many United players and his departure will come as a blow. He played a key role as United won both the League Cup and the FA Cup under Ten Hag.

News of McCarthy comes just four months after Eric Ramsay left Ten Hag's coaching staff to become the head coach of MLS side Minnesota United. United are looking to appoint two new coaches to replace McCarthy and Ramsay in due course, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in charge of football operations after buying a minority stake in the club from the Glazers.

Club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to return to Old Trafford, having won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during a five-year stint with United as a player. Van Nistelrooy has previously managed PSV Eindhoven, where he notably won the 2023 Dutch Cup.

Go Ahead Eagles manager Rene Hake is also close to joining United's backroom staff, having worked at Twente's youth academy when Ten Hag was starting his coaching career at the club following his retirement in 2002.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

The pair have been friends ever since, with Ten Hag discussing their relationship in an interview with Voetbal International last year. "After our common period at Twente, we have always kept in touch," he said.

"We meet up and call each other. You talk about private matters, how things are going at home and with the children. But usually it is about football. (At Twente) he was incredibly driven, ambitious, but also extremely convinced of himself. A trainer who worked very methodically."

Ten Hag is also in talks with United about a new contract and the 54-year-old is close to agreeing a two-year extension worth around £27million. It comes after Ratcliffe and his new football executive team concluded he was the right man for the job after conducting an extensive end-of-season review.

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