Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has cast doubt over the potential appointment of Ruben Amorim and suggested Zinedine Zidane as a possible alternative to take the reins at Old Trafford.

Following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal on Monday, interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has stepped in amidst uncertainty over his desire for the permanent role. The club is reportedly close to securing a deal with Sporting for Amorim, who led them to their first league title in nearly two decades and has been linked with Manchester City should Pep Guardiola depart.

However, Scholes expressed reservations about Amorim’s suitability for the job during an interview with the official Premier League website. He praised Amorim’s style of play and noted the interest from City as a testament to his quality but highlighted the gamble involved in such an appointment.

Scholes also mentioned Zidane as a noteworthy candidate due to his impressive track record at Real Madrid, although he acknowledged the potential challenge of a language barrier for the French icon in England.

“Amorim is an interesting one. But, again, that is a risky one,” Scholes remarked. “We all know the style of play. [Amorim] plays really good football. We’ve been talking about him for City. that obviously tells you something about his pedigree.”

He further commented on the pressures of managing a club like United compared to other teams where expectations might not be as high, using Thomas Frank’s situation at Brentford as an example: “Most of these managers, they’ve been at clubs where the expectation probably is not as high. I look at Thomas Frank and I see that. He might be a very capable manager for Manchester United but expectations are not [at Brentford] what they are at Manchester United.”

Scholes said: “I was a big Thomas Tuchel fan but obviously that’s gone,” adding “He’s managed elite clubs, he’s won big trophies with big clubs. I think [Ten Hag’s replacement] needs to have experience at an elite football club.

“This is one of the very biggest clubs in the world, so they should have the very best in class. Zidane is the one who has been at a major, major club and won major honours. But I am not sure how educated he is with the English language or whether he actually wants to come to England. You never get that feeling with him.”