Les Kershaw is the former chief scout and Academy Director for Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

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Kershaw studied at Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...

 before being recruited by United manager Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

. He had previously acted as a part-time scout for Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

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He received an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry

Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...

 in September 2005.

Kershaw retired at the end of the 2005–06 season and was replaced as Director of the Academy by Brian McClair

Brian McClair

Brian John McClair is a former Scottish international football player who played as a forward, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United, as well as important tenures at Scottish clubs Celtic and Motherwell...

. However, he continued to work for United part-time, and was credited with discovering Rafael

Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1990)

Rafael Pereira da Silva , commonly known as Rafael or Rafael da Silva, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Manchester United. He normally plays as a defender in a right back position, but can also play on the right side of midfield...

 and Fábio da Silva

Fábio Pereira da Silva

Fábio Pereira da Silva , commonly known as Fábio or Fábio da Silva, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a full-back for Manchester United of the Premier League, along with his twin brother, Rafael, who were signed by Manchester United in February 2007.-Early life:Fábio was born in Petrópolis,...

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