Ed Woodward rejects Alex Ferguson’s pick for director of football role

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has reportedly rejected Alex Ferguson's candidate to fill the club's director of football role.

It is understood that Ferguson had suggested former Everton and Leicester City transfer mogul Steve Walsh for the job but Woodward has not been very receptive to the suggestion. Walsh has previously spotted N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez at Leicester City, as well as Ginafranco Zola and Didier Drogba at Chelsea, but is seemingly not the preferred option by Woodward in a report published by Sky Sports News. https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1141040854779473926 Meanwhile former players Edwin van der Sar, Darren Fletcher and Rio Ferdinand, as well as former Spurs recruitment chief Paul Mitchell, have also been linked with a potential director's role at the club. Ferdinand has said that he has maintained contact with Woodward over the years and added that he has inquired about the role and will consider the position if the job is offered to him.

“I’ve always spoken to Ed since I left, anyway. I had that type of relationship with him,” Ferdinand told BBC Sportsweek. “I’ve not seen him at a game, so all the chats I’ve had with him have been on the phone or I go and see him when I’m in London. “I’m not the type to dilly-dally around. I’ve seen the stuff in the papers. ‘What’s that role about?’ I’ve asked that question – so yes, I have spoken to him. “I’m very honest and Ed’s open and honest with me. Manchester United and the powers that be will decide as and when they are going to put someone into that role. “If I am the person on that list and the person they are going to talk to, then that time will come. “It’s nice to be on a list in such a responsible role at such a prestigious club. If the call comes I will say, ‘thank you very much for that’, but if that call doesn’t come, I’ll not lose sleep over it.”