FORMER Pars defender David Moyes has left his job as manager of Manchester United after less than a year in charge.

The 50-year-old, who spent three years at East End Park after signing in 1990, was chosen by another ex Par, Sir Alex Ferguson, to succeed him at Old Trafford after he retired after 26 years at the helm last summer.

But the Reds confirmed this morning that Moyes has left the club after just 10 months, with the defending champions lying seventh in the Premier League and will miss out on Champions League football for the first time in 18 years.

In a brief statement on their Twitter account, United said, "Manchester United announces that David Moyes has left the club. The club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role." Moyes was appointed on a six-year deal from Everton, where he spent 11 seasons, after impressing in turning the Toffees around from relegation battlers to regular top seven finishers.

He led the Goodison Park club into the Champions League qualifiers in 2005 but has been unable to replicate that success at Old Trafford.

As well as their disappointing league form, the club suffered FA and Capital One Cup exits to Swansea City and Sunderland and bowed out of the Champions League to holders Bayern Munich.

Moyes made 105 appearances for Athletic, where he scored 13 goals, before moving on to Hamilton after Bert Paton took charge in 1993.

Ferguson, who was inducted to the Pars' Hall of Fame in 2007, scored 66 goals for the Pars in 89 appearances before being sold to Rangers for a then record fee between two Scottish clubs of £65,000.