Man United might be about to find out how good John Murtough really is after Andy O'Boyle appointment

Erik ten Hag might be the poster boy of the new era at Manchester United, but he isn't the only crucial new appointment made by the club this summer.

United have appointed Andy O'Boyle as the club's inaugural deputy football director, after he vacated his role as the head of elite performance at the Premier League to support United football director John Murtough, who occupied the same role as O'Boyle when he joined the club in 2013.

O'Boyle arrives at the club with an enviable CV and has experience in a wide range of roles from different sectors of the football industry. “Andy has experience across all technical areas of football, from fitness and sports science to scouting and recruitment," Murtough said upon his official unveiling on Tuesday morning.

READ MORE: Manchester United confirm Andy O'Boyle as deputy football director

The former Liverpool coach will soon add a Uefa pro coaching licence to his repertoire this summer and is also working towards a doctorate, having already achieved a masters in sports science.

They are all appealing buzzwords to a fanbase which has been starved of success in recent years, but perhaps the biggest impact from O'Boyle's appointment is that it will allow Murtough to finally show what it is he can offer at first-team level.

It is understood O’Boyle’s arrival will free up around two-thirds of Murtough’s working week by removing plenty of distractions from his daily inbox and allow the football director to focus on the first-team and, most importantly, summer recruitment.

Murtough has been credited with helping with the initial success of United's Women side, though questions were raised about the direction of the side when Casey Stoney quit her role as manager a year ago. Marc