All signs are that Manchester United will seek a young coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Glazers have stunned the gridiron world by booting out head coach Jon Gruden AND general manager Bruce Allen, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers failed to reach the Super Bowl play-offs.

And their actions will echo all the way back to Old Trafford, as the billionaire family have promoted 32- year-old Raheem Morris from the ranks of assistant coaches to the top job. It makes him the new youngest head coach in the NFL.

The move indicates that 60-year-old managers like Marcello Lippi and Ottmar Hitzfeld, always connected with the Old Trafford post in the past, can now forget ever taking over from 67-year-old Fergie.

Swansea City boss Roberto Martinez, Sporting coach Paulo Bento and West Ham's former chief Alan Pardew are among young managers to be publicly praised by Sir Alex in recent months.