Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs has been placed in temporary charge of first team affairs after the sacking of manager David Moyes on Tuesday, the English Premier League club said. Giggs, 40, had been an assistant to Moyes during the Scot's ill-fated 10-month spell in charge of the champions and will step in for the final four league fixtures while the club decide on a permanent replacement, United said in a statement. The champions are seventh in the table, 23-points behind leaders Liverpool, and host Norwich City on Saturday then face Sunderland and Hull City before a final trip to Southampton.

Announcing David Moyes's 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".

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.

His departure came after a shockingly lame performance in a 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday which was the final straw for the Glazers, with seventh-placed United failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995-96.