Gary Neville has moved to explain what Dan Ashworth would bring to Manchester United after closely watching him at work in a previous role.
Ashworth, 52, is currently with Newcastle United as their sporting director after his previous employment with the Football Association (FA), West Brom and Brighton.
The Manchester Evening News revealed back in December that Sir Dave Brailsford had identified Ashworth as his preferred choice to become sporting director.
Brailsford and Ashworth have an existing working relationship from previous ventures and Ashworth is understood to want to take up that role at Old Trafford.
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