Sir Alex Ferguson's former Manchester United assistant, Rene Meulensteen, has taken up a surprise position at Stockport County.
The Dutchman, who also had a brief stint as Fulham's head coach, has been brought on board at Edgeley Park in the newly created role of director of football methodology.
Stockport secured a third-place finish in League One last season but fell short at the play-off final at Wembley. The club has turned to Meulensteen to bring top-level expertise, and his new position will see him work in close partnership with the first-team coaching staff, with the added bonus of collaborating alongside his son Joppe, who already holds a coaching role at the club, as per The Mirror.
His responsibilities will also extend to shaping the football program across both the academy and senior team. Club sporting director Damien Allen commented: "Today marks a significant milestone in our club's history with the appointment of our first-ever director of football methodology.
"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 maximizing 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 honors, including four Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League."
Meulensteen accumulated 12 years of experience at Old Trafford across two separate stints. His initial period on the red side of Manchester ran from 2001 to 2006. Following a year away, he returned alongside Ferguson from 2007 through 2013.
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During his time at Old Trafford, he contributed to the Red Devils securing numerous Premier League titles and was also there when they lifted the Champions League in 2008. His departure came following the Scot's retirement.
Meulensteen arrives at Stockport following a FIFA World Cup stint where he served as assistant coach for Iraq, who exited in the group stages. His managerial experience has also included time at Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala, where he worked under European Cup winner Guus Hiddink.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
