Jim Cassell fears he is being forced out of Manchester City.

The News of the World says the simmering tensions between Mark Hughes and legendary academy director Cassell erupted after his office was cleared without his knowledge.

Cassell, who has recently been promoted to work in Abu Dhabi, discovered files and paperwork from over 10 years' service had been dumped in a corridor at Manchester City's Platt Lane academy.

City's former academy chief fears he is being forced out of the club after falling out with City's hardline manager last season.

Cassell returned from Abu Dhabi last week, where he splits his time heading up City's worldwide coaching programme, to find new academy director Andy Welsh in residence at his office.

Welsh knew Hughes when he was a player at Manchester United and is part of a coaching set-up that has been labelled "The Taffia" by some disaffected members of staff.