Manchester United: Mike Phelan discusses working with Sir Alex Ferguson, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag's progress

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has lifted the lid on the standards set by Sir Alex Ferguson, and looks at the work still to be done by Erik ten Hag.

Phelan was a long-standing figure on the Manchester United bench as assistant manager to Sir Alex, before re-joining Old Trafford to work under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

In a lengthy interview with Sky Sports, Phelan also speaks about working with Harry Maguire, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gary Neville.

The 60-year-old gave insight into the dressing room environment during Sir Alex's trophy-laden reign at the club - and how players such as Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand settled into the group after joining from other clubs.

"The beauty at United was there was a high standard there," he says. "And that standard was high.

"It wasn't just the standards that the manager put in place, or the coaching staff, but the ones that the players put in place. It was a case of: if you want to be here you accept this and you keep the standard high. And you take that on and you challenge it a lot more.

"As coaches, we were there to improve the players. Yes, they are top, top players. But you're not looking for massive improvement, you're looking at a bit of improvement. And if you get it from them all, then that's a huge improvement.

"So when you challenge with Ronaldo and Rooney, they are pretty decent individuals in their own right. Yes, they have egos - but ultimately they want to succeed and they want the legacy.

"You have to be there for them, and that was easy for me. It's about relaying those messages to them: keep your head down, do your work, you're a good player - that's why you're there - and it will all come