Gaffer thoughts on Moyes and Sir Alex
Graham Turner believes former Shrewsbury Town captain David Moyes will be a success as Manchester United manager.
Moyes, who played for Town between 1987-90, has been chosen to follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson following his retirement at Old Trafford.
"I think he's the ideal choice, fellow Glaswegians, and he's got a closeness with Sir Alex, who won't walk away from the club," said GT.
"He'll still be there to advise, to help and to encourage and I think he'll be sensible enough to know the distance he needs to keep from the playing side and be available to help David. They get on ever so well.
"They're obviously big shoes to fill, but with the help of Sir Alex and the experience that David has had in the Premier League over quite a number of years I can see the transition going very smoothly.
"David will have his own ideas but the club's in great shape for the long-term future and I think David will be a success there."
GT first met Moyes when the man who has done such a good job as Everton boss was a Gay Meadow central defender.
"I first met David at a Christians in Sport meeting in Birmingham," he said. "He was there as a guest of Bernard McNally and I was sat next to him.
"I was ever so impressed. He was only a young player then but I was ever so impressed with the way the conversations went and have followed his career.
"The fact that he was here as a player and captain, maybe we can get one or two friendly matches with Manchester United, one or two loan players.
"He's done us no favours while he's been at Everton so maybe we can get something out of him."
GT added the decision of Sir Alex to call time on his management career had come as a shock having got to know the legendary manager well over the years.
"It was a shock to me when I heard the news," he said. "It took me totally by surprise. He seems indestructible and you would think he would go on forever.
"It's been an amazing tenure at Manchester United, winning all the trophies, and to stay at a big club and keep them up there for that length of time has been absolutely incredible and he deserves to have an enjoyable retirement.
"I'm sure he's got plenty of things planned and I'm sure he'll enjoy it all."
As for how he first met Sir Alex, GT recalled: "I was on a cruise on the Canberra. I looked across the swimming pool as we went down the Bay of Biscay and there were only two of us out there in the freezing cold and the rough seas.
"I thought I recognised the fella on the other side of the swimming pool with a big Adidas puffa jacket on.
"Later I saw him down one of the passage ways and it was Alex so we had a fortnight on board the Canberra with his family and a few more from Aberdeen which is where he was at the time.
"I was just in the throes of leaving Shrewsbury to go to Aston Villa so we spent a little bit of time together."