Mike Phellan (Courtesy of Jason Dasey)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rightly earned praise for transforming Manchester United since taking over as interim boss last December. But his assistant Mike Phelan could be the club’s unsung hero, according to Asia-based defender Zesh Rehman.

Rehman, a former Premier League center-back who now plays for Southern in the Hong Kong Premier League, says Phelan has been a calming influence in the dressing room after the toxic reign of Jose Mourinho.

Phelan played 102 league games as a Manchester United full-back and midfielder between 1989 and 1994. He was appointed assistant manager when Solskjaer took over as caretaker boss just before Christmas.

Under the pair, United has won 11 of 13 games in all competitions to move up to fourth in the Premier League, while advancing to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after Monday’s 2-0 victory at Chelsea. It hosts Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

“Phelan has played a huge role because he fully comprehends the values and culture of United, and has vast experience of what has made the club so successful over the years,” Rehman said.

“He understands the players as people, which is vital to get the buy in towards his training methods. He will know what makes each player tick, and how to get the best of them. His communication skills and man management won over the respect of the high-profile stars immediately.”

Shortly before returning to Manchester United — Phelan was assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson between 2008 and 2013, having previously served as coach of the first-team and reserves — the former England international traveled to Hong Kong for a coach education workshop at Rehman’s club in Hong Kong.

“The workshop, through the KC Southern District Academy and with the support of club boss Timothy Wong, was a tremendous success in terms of implementing professionalism from the academy to the first team. In the short time with Mike here, we learned about what made Man United so successful over the years.”

Having faced Solskjaer during his days in England as a defender for clubs that included Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Norwich, Rehman believes that the ex-Norwegian striker, alongside a support crew that includes Phelan and Michael Carrick, has done enough to justify full-time employment for next season.

“I believe United will now finish in the top four. And if they keep the same regime for next season, they can mount a serious challenge for the title,” Rehman said.

“The players will want to show in the second half of this campaign that the dramatic improvement was not an accident after the change in management. The off season will also allow Ole time to recruit the right players to help build on his excellent start as manager.”

Apart from a brief return to England two years ago with third-tier side Gillingham, Rehman has been based in Asia for most of the past decade. Having initially played for Muangthong United in Thailand, he also had stints with Hong Kong’s Kitchee and Malaysia’s Pahang before his move to Southern in mid-2017.

Now 35 years old, Rehman says he wants to continue playing until after his 40th birthday to emulate Singapore’s Bosnia-born legend Aleksandar Duric, who retired at the age of 44 in 2014.

“Aleks inspired me to prolong my career as long as possible, and I’ve accumulated the most minutes in the squad this season, so I see no reason to stop,’’ said Rehman, the Birmingham-born Pakistani international. “I have the UEFA Pro License and am helping the Academy coaches, and Southern’s under 18s, which I thoroughly enjoy.

“I’m also trying to give back to the community by getting involved with All Black FC [a Hong Kong team made up of African refugees and asylum seekers] to help them integrate into Chinese culture through the football club and local district. From the start of next season, we plan to forge an official collaboration with my foundation. Southern deserve huge credit for being open-minded and caring for local citizens.”

A practicing Muslim, Rehman knows what it is like to be different in the world of professional soccer. He was the first British-Asian to establish himself in the Premier League, and is a former ambassador in the United
Kingdom’s anti-racism campaigns, including Kick It Out.

And, although he is planning on finishing his career in Hong Kong where his two preschool age children are learning Mandarin, he will be sure to keep a close eye on how Ole, Mike and Co. fare for the rest of the season — starting with Sunday’s Old Trafford showdown with traditional foe, Liverpool.

— The writer is CEO of Singapore-based Cockatoo Media and host of corporate events in Borneo.

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