Manchester United officially hire former Liverpool coach

Liverpool and Manchester United share perhaps the fiercest rivalry in English football, but that has not stopped one former Anfield coach from crossing football’s great divide.

The two clubs last met competitively in May, when United secured a dramatic 3-2 victory at Old Trafford and mathematically sealed Champions League qualification.

Kobbie Mainoo scored the winner that afternoon as Michael Carrick’s remarkable turnaround continued, eventually carrying United to third place.

This season has painted a very different picture.

United have collected only five points from their opening five Premier League matches, winning once.

Defeats against Hull City and Manchester City have been accompanied by draws with Everton and Fulham.

Brighton also knocked United out of the Carabao Cup, although a 4-0 Champions League victory against Sabah offered some respite.

The poor opening has inevitably placed Carrick under scrutiny.

Some supporters have questioned whether last season’s resurgence can be repeated, while others believe a manager who transformed United and delivered Champions League football deserves patience.

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, United continue strengthening their football operation.

Who is the new coach at Manchester United?

Danny Hastings has confirmed on LinkedIn that he has joined Manchester United as the club’s new Under-13s Coach Analyst.

His profile lists the full-time appointment as beginning in September 2026.

Hastings brings extensive academy experience, including almost seven years working for Liverpool.

He served as an International Football Academy Coach at Anfield between 2014 and 2021, while also coaching Liverpool Women at Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 level. He additionally spent time as interim Under-21s coach.

Hastings later joined Fleetwood Town, where his six-year spell included roles as International Academy Lead Coach and Lead Youth Development Phase Coach.

Most recently, he worked across Fleetwood’s Under-15 to Under-21 age groups as a Coach Analyst and had a four-month spell as interim Under-18s Lead Coach.

Now, after years developing young players elsewhere, Hastings has made the move to Carrington.