Manchester United ‘talks’ to former Tottenham and England midfielder Tom Huddlestone on role as player-manager at Academy

Manchester United are in talks with former Tottenham and England midfielder Tom Huddlestone over a player-manager role with the club’s Under-21 side.

United are looking to fill the void left by Paul McShane who previously held the same position at the club before choosing to end his career this summer.

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Getty

Huddlestone, 35, would be registered to play in the Under-21 setup as an overage player, with clubs allowed to use five older outfield players and a goalkeeper.

The midfielder left Hull at the end of last season after completing a second stint with the Tigers after a four-year spell between 2013 and 2017.

Capped four times by England, Huddlestone made just 11 appearances last season as Hull finished 19th in the Championship and while in the twilight of his career and considering becoming a manager, Old Trafford’s role could be the perfect catalyst for life after the game.

Any deal would mean Huddlestone would not be available for the first team and although United are currently on the hunt for a midfielder, Huddlestone will instead be involved in daily training sessions with United’s new generation of talent.

Huddlestone’s experience will be invaluable to the club’s starlets as they seek the attention of first-team boss Erik ten Hag.

Having a player-coach within the academy set up was an idea implemented by United academy director Nick Cox with the appointment of McShane the first step in trying the initiative .

McShane’s return to the club in the hybrid role was seen as a success, with the Irishman now taking on a full-time role as the club’s professional development stage coach.

In June, Liverpool made a similar appointment with Jay Spearing signing a deal to return to Anfield as part of the Under-23 setup, having left the club in 2013.

Southampton also followed the same trend when they gave defender Ollie Lancashire the chance to take on a similar role at St. Marys.