Manchester United have officially announced the appointment of legendary German tactician Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season, after which he will take up a consultancy role at the club.

Click through the gallery above to see some high-profile players Rangnick has helped develop in his career!

It has been confirmed that the 63-year-old has joined the struggling English giants on a six-month contract until the conclusion of the current campaign, after leaving his role as head of youth development at Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia.

News broke last week that United had struck a deal with Rangnick, who is set to continue working for the club after this season as an adviser, meaning it is likely he will play a huge role in helping appoint the Red Devils' new boss next year.

United's new interim manager is widely considered as one of the most, if not the most, influential people in the history of German football as he is credited for developing the famous "gegenpress" philosophy that has been popularised by Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

The premise of the approach is to play with high intensity and speed, and to strive to win the ball back as soon as it has been lost. This is referred to as a "counter-press", which is the aim of surrounding the man on the ball before he has time to control it and pick a pass.

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Then, when the ball has been successfully turned over, the idea is to transition quickly into attack and get a shot at goal within 10 seconds, making it difficult for the opposition to get back into shape and defend the swift and often devastating counter-attack.

Rangnick's first game in charge of the 20-time English champions will come against Arsenal in the Premier League this Thursday, with Michael Carrick going unbeaten in his two games as caretaker coach following a difficult run under previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Speaking after his appointment, he said: "I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a successful season for the club. 

"The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience. All my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team. Beyond that, I look forward to supporting the club’s longer-term goals on a consultancy basis."

Click through the gallery below to see some managers who have been sacked this season: