Mike Phelan claims he was the real boss at Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson's last five years

Mike Phelan (R) with Sir Alex Ferguson

Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has claimed that he was the boss at the club for the last five years in all but name.

Phelan, now unemployed after leaving the club in the summer, has sensationally claimed that during Sir Alex Ferguson’s last five years at the club, he was the man actually in charge.

Phelan was Ferguson’s understudy at United from 2008 until this summer and has insisted that his responsibilities were more than of an obedient understudy.

“With the way things have gone, my first thoughts are to be the boss, yeah. It’s the progression for me now. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last five years, albeit with the title of assistant boss,” Phelan told the Mirror.

“He [Ferguson] was the head of the establishment, there’s no doubt about it and rightly so. He didn’t get to where he’s got through not being a big decision maker but he’ll be the first to admit that a lot of people played their part in that.

“We all were undercover in that respect. We weren’t the face of what was going on but that was our job. There’s no problem with that from my point of view. The blinkers are off now because I’m outside of all that.

“But you were decision making so I’m more than capable of handling that.

“It’s a case now that if the opportunity comes up to be a boss then I’ll have a look at it.

“In my case I’ve been in a job so long at one place. I’m not saying I’ve become institutionalised at Manchester United but my qualities have been at Manchester United,” he added.

“They’ve been shown there. Now I’m going out into the big bad world of football and people who are looking for managers, coaches, whatever, probably don’t know me as me. They know me as Mick Phelan the assistant manager at Manchester United.”

It’s certainly a big statement to make from Phelan who was a player under Ferguson, winning the Premier League and FA Cup.

He was Ferguson’s right-hand man during three Premier League title wins, a Club World Cup, two League Cups and two runs to the final of the UEFA Champions League.