Ralf Rangnick left Manchester United under a cloud earlier this year after failing to improve the club's fortunes during his ill-fated interim stint.
The highly-rated German coach was viewed as the ideal candidate to steady the ship at Old Trafford until a new permanent manager could be appointed in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's emotional exit back in November.
Rangnick was then earmarked to transition into a two-year consultancy role - but it became clear that the 64-year-old's days at the club were numbered after the former RB Leipzig chief decided to 'combine' his Manchester United duties with that of the Austria national team head coach role.
