Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes the club should try to bring in “outstanding candidate” Mauricio Pochettino as Jose Mourinho’s replacement.

United sacked boss Mourinho on Tuesday morning, two days on from the 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool, which left them 19 points behind the table-topping Reds in sixth place and 11 points off the top four.

Tottenham boss Pochettino has been frequently spoken of as a potential United manager.

And Neville told Sky Sports News: “I said last season that the next manager of Manchester United should be Mauricio Pochettino.

“When I look at the values of Manchester United, you look at Mauricio Pochettino’s belief in young players at (previous club) Southampton and with Tottenham. You look at his performance levels and the style of play, the way in which he carries himself at all times, publicly and in private.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend two or three days at Tottenham’s training ground and to me he just feels like the most ideal candidate.”

Neville added: “Manchester United have tried managers that have won European Cups, they’ve tried managers that have won multiple leagues, they’ve tried managers that have, to be fair, had that solid grounding in the Premier League.

“They need someone who meets the three key principals of that football club: the promotion of youth, entertaining football and to win football matches.

“People suggest he hasn’t won a trophy yet at Tottenham but with a net spend of minus £29million or something over the last four years, I’m not sure he could have done more.

“I do think he is the person who is the outstanding candidate.”