Phelan fine in spotlight

MIKE PHELAN is relishing the responsibility of stepping into the assistant manager’s shoes at Manchester United.

Alex Ferguson is still drawing up his short-list of candidates to replace Carlos Queiroz, who quit to take over at Real Madrid this summer.

However, despite previously indicating he would be looking outside the club for a permanent successor to the former Portuguese national coach, Ferguson must have been impressed at the way United’s squad have responded to Phelan over the past few weeks.