Scot David Moyes confirmed as new Manchester United manager

Former Everton boss David Moyes has been confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United. Glaswegian Moyes was hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson as his replacement. Ferguson, 71, stepped down as manager of the Manchester club yesterday after 27 years in charge.
Moyes, 50, has signed a six-year-contract with the Old Trafford outfit and will join officially on July 1 after completing the season with Everton. His first official game will be the Community Shield against either Manchester City or Wigan at Wembley on August 11. Moyes said: "It's a great honour to be asked to be the next manager of Manchester United. "I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the job. I have great respect for everything he has done and for the football club. "I know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever, but the opportunity to manage Manchester United isn't something that comes around very often and I'm really looking forward to taking up the post next season."Meanwhile, England boss Roy Hodgson claims it will be "a Godsend" for David Moyes to be able to call on Sir Alex Ferguson for advice after he was today confirmed as the new Manchester United manager. Moyes, 50, has been given a six-year contract at Old Trafford while Ferguson will remain at the club as a director and ambassador. Hodgson believes that will prove a help rather than a hindrance to Moyes. He told talkSPORT: "I'm sure that being available for the new man he will be a Godsend in that respect because there is nothing he doesn't know about football and Manchester United. "The amount of time he has given to younger managers in terms of advice and support, and the support he has given to the LMA (League Managers' Association) to protect those managers, you don't expect that from someone at the very top of his profession." Hodgson also paid tribute to Ferguson and insisted that too much has been made of his qualities as a strict disciplinarian. He added: "For me it's also his human qualities and I think those two are linked together, you don't become that successful and have such great relationships and build such good teams if you are just a so-called disciplinarian and hard worker. "You also have to have a lot of human qualities so that people can relate to you and warm to you and I think Alex has that quality in abundance. "I think that his enthusiasm and his energy are as great as ever and I am certain that won't diminish. "His footballing qualities and everything he has achieved are never going to be equalled. The epithet 'the greatest' is very well deserved." Former United defender Henning Berg also believes Moyes is the perfect candidate to take on the enormous task of replacing Ferguson. The Norwegian is an admirer of the way Moyes has gone about his business during an 11-year stay at Goodison Park and believes he could even bring some playing talent with him. England left-back Leighton Baines has been strongly linked with the Red Devils before and Marouane Fellaini is known to covet a move to a title-chasing side. "David Moyes is a very good choice," said Berg. "He's very similar to Ferguson as a manager. "He's shown at Everton what he can do with limited resources and he will look to lead the club in the same way. "Of course he might want to bring one or two (Everton) players with him but I don't think there will be too many changes. "Most things are working at United at the moment so it's a smooth transition." Brighton boss Gus Poyet, whose side are in the npower Championship play-offs, believes Ferguson will cast a long shadow for years to come. "After Alex Ferguson, football in England is going to be different because of the personality, the power, the leadership and everything he has done in football," the Uruguayan said at a press conference. "I am sure the Premier League next year is going to be totally different. Something is going to be missing. "You cannot copy, you cannot get another Alex Ferguson. There is only one." One player who will end up as a footnote in the Ferguson era is Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. He will join the Red Devils in the summer and will go down as Ferguson's final signing.