Manchester United sack reserve-team boss Ricky Sbragia as they begin summer overhaul at Old Trafford
* Ricky Sbragia has left the club after his second stint as reserve-team manager
* The 62-year-old's departure is set to trigger a summer of overhaul at the club
* Former reserves manager Warren Joyce has been linked with a return to the club
Manchester United Under 23s coach Ricky Sbragia has left the club as they look to instigate changes this summer.
Academy boss Nicky Butt will oversee a summer restructuring that is geared to improve levels under the first team and could also see former United midfielder Quinton Fortune take up a role.
Fortune, who turned 41 on Tuesday, is an ambassador at United and is no stranger to the Carrington training complex.
Manchester United have sacked reserve-team boss Ricky Sbragia (right) as part of an overhaul
He has also been considered by South Africa manager Stuart Baxter for a coaching role on his backroom staff.
Sbragia, 62, returned to the club after 12 years away in 2017 but, though he was well-liked, the U23s were relegated last year and failed to make play-offs this season.
United’s U23s won just eight of their 22 matches last season, finishing sixth in the table, and Sbragia has agreed it is time to move on, leaving by mutual consent.
A return for Warren Joyce had been mooted but he is considering other options after leaving his role as coach of Melbourne City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had called upon a number of the U23 squad but United are likely to add more youngsters as part of their summer recruitment with Stoke City's 18-year-old centre back Nathan Collins an option.
Solskjaer has threatened big changes behind the scenes and wants to instil greater fitness, too.
He has warned first-team players they will not be welcome on the club's pre-season tour if they return overweight.
United's youth teams have fallen behind their rivals in recent years and Sbragia's departure is set to mark the beginning of an overhaul at all levels of the club.
The 62-year-old was enjoying his second spell at the Premier League club, having helped develop the likes of Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson during his first stint as reserves manager between 2002 and 2005.
But during his time in charge this time around, United were relegated from the top tier of Premier League 2 in 2017-18.
Last season they finished sixth in the 12-team second division, with their equivalents from Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City all still in the league above.
Joyce, meanwhile, spent eight years as reserve-team manager before he left in 2016 to take over at Wigan.
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