Manchester United sack manager David Moyes; Giggs is interim manager

David Moyes's short and disastrous reign at Old Trafford came to an abrupt end on Tuesday when Manchester United announced he was leaving the club following a hugely disappointing 10-month spell as manager since replacing Alex Ferguson last July.

Announcing his departure in a brief statement, shortly after staff arrived for work at the Carrington training ground, United thanked the Scot for "the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role".

- 5 blunders that cost Moyes his job

Newspapers had earlier reported the game was up for Moyes, trumpeting the 'End of an Error' after the American owners, the Glazer family, lost patience and decided to sack him.

Moyes, who turns 51 on Friday, was appointed on the recommendation of fellow-Scot Ferguson, who retired at the end of last season after 26 years in the job.

Ferguson had steered United to the title last season for the 13th time and 20th overall.

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United later confirmed that Giggs will fill in on a caretaker basis.

"Following the departure of David Moyes as manager, Manchester United has announced that Ryan Giggs, the club's most decorated player, will assume responsibility for the first team until a permanent appointment can be made," said another statement.

"The club will make no further comment on this process until it is concluded."

Giggs, Britain's most decorated player and United's record appearance-maker, was informed of the news after arriving at United's Carrington training ground near Manchester on Tuesday morning.

His first game in charge will be a league fixture at home to Norwich City on Saturday.

Giggs, 40, made his United debut in March 1991 and has made 962 appearances for the club, winning 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, three League Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup.

He has no previous managerial experience, but has combined his role as a player with a position on United's coaching staff since the start of the current campaign.

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Moyes's sudden departure evoked memories of the traumatic spell the Old Trafford club suffered between 1969 and 1971 when Matt Busby retired after 24 years as boss.

Busby's hand-picked successor Wilf McGuinness only lasted 18 months before Busby took over the reins again.

It is highly improbable Ferguson will swap his lucrative career as an after-dinner speaker and business consultant for the dugout.

According to media reports, United have courted Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who will quit as coach of the Netherlands after the World Cup in Brazil in June and July.

Van Gaal was quickly installed as the bookmakers' favourite to succeed David Moyes as Manchester United manager.

Van Gaal, who has coached Barcelona, Ajax Amsterdam and Bayern Munich in a distinguished career, has already said he will step down from the national team after the World Cup in July and had been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

But the 62-year-old was priced as short as 7/4 with some British bookmakers to move to Old Trafford after Moyes was shown the door with the defending champions seventh in the table, 23 points behind leaders Liverpool with four games remaining.

United have never appointed a manager from outside Britain or Ireland but Borrusia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was the widespread second favourite to replace Moyes, who signed a six-year contract when he took over from Alex Ferguson in the close season.

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German Klopp, 46, has won admirers for his work in Germany where he led Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and took the team to a Champions League final last year only to lose 2-1 to domestic rivals Bayern Munich.

He was priced at 9/2 just ahead of United's 40-year-old midfielder and assistant coach Ryan Giggs, who British media tipped to take over on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, who has led the Spanish side to top of the La Liga table and a Champions League semi-final this season, was fourth favourite alongside Ferguson, who enjoyed 26 trophy-laden years in charge before retirement in May.

Ferguson's former assistant and now Iran boss Carlos Queiroz was priced at 16/1 with ex United players Eric Cantona and David Beckham rated at 250/1 longshots.

The new manager needs to undertake a major rebuilding job at the club, having to replace a large number of ageing players while facing at least a season without Champions League football.

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