David Moyes reportedly furious with Manchester United over manner of sacking

Former Manchester United boss David Moyes is reportedly furious with Manchester United and has claimed that his dismissal was primarily driven by the intention to limit his severance package.

Moyes is believed to have earned £7 million during his 348 day reign as Manchester United boss. He could have earned at least £9 million if his contract was terminated with the reigning Premier League champions still with a chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

The Scot believes that a clause in his contract which stipulated that a finish outside the top four in the Premier League would limit his severance package to £4.5 million – a year’s pay, is what motivated Ed Woodward and his colleagues to give him the sack on Monday.

Manchester United’s 0-2 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday eliminated all chances of them making the top 4 and immediately activated the clause.

Manchester United, however, maintain that they played by the stock-market regulations and did not act unprofessionally.

A club spokesman said: ‘We do not accept that it was handled in an unprofessional manner. The decision was not taken until late Monday night and was communicated face-to-face first thing on Tuesday morning.’

Reports have also surfaced that Moyes wanted contact on a regular basis with Ed Woodward but sources say communication ‘sometimes wasn’t even weekly’.