Mauricio Pochettino says the decision to leave his role as boss of the USA national team to become Manchester United head coach was "one of the most difficult" of his career. The Argentine was announced as Michael Carrick's successor at Old Trafford on Friday, with sources telling BBC Sport he has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. United paid a release clause in the region of £7.4m to extract Pochettino from his USA contract, with a further payment being made for his backroom staff.
Pochettino only signed a new four-year deal with the USA in the summer, but will depart for Manchester after leading the national team in matches against Haiti on 14 and 18 November. The 54-year-old broke down in tears during his first news conference after his move to United was confirmed, and thanked the US Soccer Federation for its support. "It's difficult to talk now," he said.
"I'm a very emotional guy. It's a very sad decision. "But we are professionals and we are trying to make our dreams come true." Asked why he signed a new deal with the national side only to accept United's offer, Pochettino said the chance to manage at Old Trafford was too good to reject.
"I never said I wanted to go back but they know there aren't too many opportunities that happen in your career like Manchester United," he said. "When it arrives, it's difficult to turn down." Carrick was sacked on Thursday after United's worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years, which has left them languishing in 18th place in the Premier League. Pochettino will inherit a side that have won just once in 10 league matches this season and sit just one point above bottom-placed Sunderland.
His first match in charge will be an away match against Liverpool on 22 November. How Ferguson-inspired Pochettino can succeed where Carrick failed at Man Utd Pochettino's arrival at Old Trafford marks the end of a decade-long courtship. Thriving during an 18-month stint at Southampton, he led the Saints to eighth place during his only full season on the south coast.
Tottenham moved quickly to appoint one of the most promising young coaches in Europe in 2014, and it was in north London that his reputation rocketed. The club had finished in the top four just twice in the 22 years before his appointment, but Pochettino led them there four times in his five full seasons. It was two years into his time in the capital that United first considered a move for Pochettino.
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