ROBBIE SAVAGE has appointed the son of a Manchester United legend as the new Macclesfield manager.
And an ex-Red Devils star has joined as his assistant.
Savage is director of football at the Silkmen, founded three years ago after Macclesfield Town folded.
The club sacked Mark Duffy on October 25 following a poor start to the Northern Premier League Premier Division - just five months after he replaced Neil Danns.
Now Macclesfield have turned to Alex Bruce as their new boss.
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Bruce, 39, came through the youth academy at Manchester United, where his dad Steve made more than 400 appearances.
But his son did not break through into the first team and moved to Blackburn before a career that included spells in the heart of defence at Ipswich, Leeds and Hull.
Bruce Jr, who made two caps apiece for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in international football, finished his playing days with Macclesfield, retiring in 2022.
Now he has returned to The Leasing.com Stadium in his first job as a manager following a coaching role at West Brom under dad Steve.
Bruce, who made 48 Premier League appearances, is joined by former United man Phil Bardsley who is assistant manager.
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Former Red Devils academy manager Paul McGuinness has come in as head coach while Dan Ternent is the new head of recruitment.
Bardsley earned 18 appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson but had his longest stints with Sunderland and Burnley before his summer retirement following a year at Stockport County.
McGuinness, meanwhile, oversaw the youth set-up at the club for 23 years with more than 90 players progressing into the first team and 23 becoming full internationals.
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Savage, who started out at Old Trafford but did not make his senior debut, said: “Looking at Alex, Paul, and Phil and with my upbringing, the key values of coming through the system at Manchester United is a fundamental part of why we made these appointments.
“The ethos and the morals and the principles which we want to integrate into the football club are vital going forward.
"Alex has his coaching experience at West Brom dealing with first-team players and his ability to handle a squad.
“This is an amazing opportunity for Alex who has got all his badges, assisted by Phil Bardsley who recently finished playing in the Premier League at Burnley.
“Dan Ternent has worked at Hull City, Aston Villa, West Brom and was fundamental in bringing the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Andy Robertson and Harry Maguire to Hull.
“For Alex to have Paul McGuinness as his head coach provides a blend of youth and experience at Manchester United for over 20 years.
"For us to acquire the services of Paul McGuinness is a major coup for the football club which inevitably for the benefit of our football club is amazing."
