Rene Meulensteen has taken on a senior role with Stockport County as the League One club bring in the man who previously served as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant at Manchester United, Rene Meulensteen, has landed a shock role at Stockport County.

The Dutchman, who also served as Fulham's manager for a brief period, has been appointed at Edgeley Park taking on the role of director of football methodology.

Stockport finished third in League One last season but lost out in the play-off final at Wembley. They've turned to Meulensteen for some top-flight experience and his new role will see him work closely with Stockport’s first-team staff, which will also allow him to collaborate with his son Joppe, who is a coach at the club.

His remit will also involve a part in developing the football programme across both the academy and first team. The club's sporting director, Damien Allen, said: "Today marks a significant milestone in our club's history with the appointment of our first-ever director of football methodology.

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"This landmark appointment reflects our commitment to building an elite football department, where every player and coach across the club is aligned behind a clear football philosophy, coaching methodology, identity and way of working.

"From the outset, we were determined to appoint someone with an exceptional track record of developing players. Throughout his distinguished career, he has played a key role in maximising the potential of world-class players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, and was an integral member of one of the most successful coaching teams in modern football, winning 11 major honours, including four Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League."

Meulensteen spent 12 years working at Old Trafford across two different spells. His first stint on the red side of Manchester was from 2001 and 2006. After a year out, he was back alongside Ferguson from 2007 to 2013.

Whilst at Old Trafford he helped the Red Devils win multiple Premier League titles and was also present when they claimed the Champions League in 2008. He left the club after the Scot's retirement.

Meulensteen heads to Stockport off the back of a World Cup campaign that saw him working as the assistant coach for Iraq, who went out in the group stages. His managerial career has also seen him work at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, where he managed under European Cup winner Guus Hiddink.

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