Sir Dave Brailsford steps back from Manchester United role

The 61-year-old will switch focus to his role as Ineos’ director of sport

Sir Dave Brailsford (left) is stepping back from his day-to-day role at Manchester United (PA)

Sir Dave Brailsford will take a step back from his role at Manchester United as the turnover at the top at Old Trafford continues.

The cycling supremo will have less day-to-day involvement at United as he instead focuses on his position of director of sport for Ineos.

Brailsford, who will remain a director of United, has been a long-time ally of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and has been prominent during an 18-month spell, since the petrochemicals billionaire agreed to take a stake in the club, in which there has been a huge overhaul at Old Trafford.

United now believe they have a new leadership structure in place, including chief executive Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox and chief business officer Marc Armstrong, to take the club forward after Brailsford oversaw a transitional phase. He took a leading role in the revamp of United’s Carrington training ground.

Brailsford, the former British Cycling performance director, became the principal of Team Sky, when they won six Tours de France.

However, he has not yet had the same success in football. While Brailsford unveiled ‘Mission 21’ – their plan to win a 21st league title, United came 15th, their lowest finish in half a century, after awarding manager Erik ten Hag a new contract, then sacking him a few months later and appointing Ruben Amorim. Their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham means they failed to qualify for Europe.

Meanwhile, a host of high-ranking figures have left Old Trafford during Brailsford’s time at the club, including football director John Murtough, sporting director Dan Ashworth, general counsel and interim CEO Patrick Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty.