In his very first training session as a manager, Paul Scholes was already invoking the lessons of Sir Alex Ferguson. Scholes has been confirmed as boss of League Two side Oldham Athletic on an 18-month deal in his first senior managerial role. He was due to be unveiled at a 2pm press conference, however the club moved the announcement forward by an hour and a half. Oldham owner Abdallah Lemsagam said: ‘Paul has won everything there is to win in football. He is a man who will bring a lot of footballing knowledge and his hunger to succeed in management will be there for everyone to see. ‘It’s no secret how much he has wanted this job in the past and how much he loves this club, so I’m very happy to bring him into our family at Oldham Athletic. ‘Paul will have my backing 100 per cent and hopefully we can work together to bring success back to this club.’ 
Earlier, the former Manchester United midfielder was already in action on the training ground and looked to have taken some tips from Ferguson, his former boss – barking out orders, intently checking his watch, and making sure his players know who is in charge. Scholes also proved he still has the touch which made him one of the world’s best midfielders, as he was pictured cleanly striking a ball during the session. The 44-year-old was also photographed smiling and laughing, clearly delighted to finally be in charge of the club, having been linked with the Oldham post numerous times in the past. Scholes had agreed a deal with his boyhood club some time ago but was waiting on clearance from the Football League. The EFL have decided his involvement with National League side Salford City as co-owner is no barrier or conflict of interest. He runs the non-league side along with fellow members of the United ‘Class of 92’, and is the fifth of that group to enter management after Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, and Nicky Butt. His first game in the dugout will be when Oldham, 15th in the fourth tier, host Yeovil Town on Tuesday. It marks a major step down for Scholes compared to his playing career, the entirety of which was spent at Old Trafford. He played 718 games for United, winning 11 Premier League titles, as well as two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups and three League Cups. He also won 66 senior England caps. Scholes has named Mick Priest as his assistant. Priest, from Oldham, was an academy coach at United during Scholes’s time at Old Trafford and has previously had a spell as first-team coach at Fulham. He was also assistant manager of Israeli side Maccabi Haifa and assistant coach at Norwegian outfit IK Start. Scholes was approached about taking over by Lemsagam last month, who was told that interference in selection would not be tolerated and that sole control was non-negotiable. Previous Oldham managers have encountered difficulties on this front. 
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