Manchester United’s Under-23s coach Neil Wood is set to be appointed as the new first-team manager of Salford City.
Wood, 39, is set to replace Gary Bowyer at the League Two side after a disappointing season which saw the Class of '92-owned side finish in tenth place, seven points off the play-off positions. Club officials held a meeting on Tuesday morning and decided to terminate the contract of Bowyer and his assistant manager Billy Barr following a disappointing end to the season.
The United U23 manager worked closely with Salford co-owner Nicky Butt during his time as the head of first-team development at Old Trafford, where he forged a key role in developing players over the last three years.
READ MORE: Salford City sack manager Gary Bowyer after missing out on League Two play-offs
Wood was a former midfielder who started life at United during his own injury-hampered career, later going on to play for the likes of Burnley, Blackpool and Coventry.
His playing career came to an end back in 2010 and he turned to coaching, starting out at Aston Villa before he joined the youth set-up at United.
Wood started work with United's U15 side before progressing through the academy hierarchy as a coach for the U18s and then moving into his role with the U23s.
In his first season in the role, Wood achieved promotion back to division one of the Premier League 2, before recording eighth and sixth-place finishes in the subsequent two seasons.
Wood also oversaw United's run to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Youth League this season, where they were beaten on penalties by Borussia Dortmund.
Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.
