Coton Quits Old Trafford

Sir Alex Ferguson's problems behind the scenes at Manchester United continued last night when his goalkeeping coach Tony Coton announced he was quitting the club.

Coton, widely regarded as one of the best in his business, has been troubled by a persistent knee problem that has made it difficult for the 46-year-old to take part in training sessions with Edwin van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster.

The former England B international, whose playing career included spells at Birmingham City, Watford, Manchester City and Sunderland, had an operation earlier this month to try to resolve the problem, but has now been forced to end his 10-year association with the club.