Scholes suggests McClaren could play crucial Man Utd role for new boss Ten Hag

Steve McClaren has been confirmed as Erik ten Hag's new assistant manager at Manchester United, but Paul Scholes has suggested that he could be better used elsewhere.

Ten Hag has already proceeded to make a lot of changes to the backroom staff at United as his rebuild gets underway, and the experienced Mike Phelan will no longer be the no.2 in the dugout. McClaren will instead take his role, as he re-joins United after initially leaving the club in 2001.

McClaren was Ten Hag's assistant at Twente back in 2010, but has since been filling other roles, most recently at Derby as a technical director. And that's why Scholes thinks that McClaren will be better suited to a advisory role over being assistant manager at United.

Scholes has concerns over the lack of transfer help that Ten Hag will receive at United, as the Dutchman has been backed with experienced advisors at Ajax. And Scholes is worried that no one will be able to assist Ten Hag in making the right signings.

He feels as though McClaren's recent experience makes him better suited to an advisory role, rather than stepping back into the dugout after a lengthy absence. Scholes said on Premier League Predictions "This manager needs backing now, he's been brought into the club to really turn it around.

"The only issue is, who's going to be helping him on that side of the business? I know at Ajax he had Edwin (van der Sar) and Marc Overmars. He's always had someone to help him.

"I don't see that role at United now. I don't know who's going to do that. There isn't that link between him and Richard Arnold, or whoever's running the club, and I think he will need help."

So Scholes suggested McClaren for the job, as the two have a good relationship. Scholes pointed at the former England manager as the answer, as he said: "Possibly Steve McClaren could be doing that.

"Steve as I know was a fantastic coach, one of the best coaches I've ever had. But I don't think he's coached for a while now, he's more into the director of football role I suppose with Derby County.

"Whether he takes that role on as well to help him with the signing of players, I think we have to wait and see." Either way, McClaren will be a huge help to Ten Hag, and he previously held the assistant manager's role between 1999 and 2001.

McClaren was Sir Alex Ferguson's no.2, and helped the club win the treble in his first year at United. He was only at the club for two years though, before heading to Middlesbrough in his first proper managerial role.

Scholes was very fond of McClaren, as were many other United players, and he also coached them with the England national team in 2006. However, his stint in charge of England was short lived, after failing to qualify for the 2008 European Championships.