Dan Ashworth’s reign as Manchester United’s sporting director has come to an end just five months after being hired, but he was granted a less-than-ceremonious exit from Old Trafford.

Having been head-hunted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ashworth was one of several high-profile appointments made by the INEOS chief across the last year.

Alongside Ashworth, the likes of Omar Berrada (CEO), Jason Wilcox (technical director) and Christopher Vivell (director of recruitment) were all ushered in to make up INEOS’ new-look hierarchy at Old Trafford.

The final piece in the jigsaw puzzle, or so it seemed, was the recently hired Ruben Amorim, but following Ashworth’s departure, it appears the house of cards has already started tumbling.

The ex-Newcastle United man’s departure has highlighted some unwanted cracks in the INEOS project, with the 53-year-old’s exit speaking volumes about his relationship with the United board.

According to The Manchester Evening News, Ashworth was escorted through the press conference room inside the underbelly of Old Trafford following United’s disappointing defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday night.

The weather outside was dismal, with the soggy remnants of Storm Darragh having made for hostile conditions during the 3-2 defeat.

But the look on Ashworth’s face was even worse. By this point, his fate was likely already sealed.

Ashworth was said to have been accompanied by Colette Roche, a senior HR executive at the Red Devils, as well as a security official.

The scramble for United’s next sporting director is likely already underway.

Ashworth’s exit was confirmed by United on Sunday morning, with the club releasing a short 41-word statement.

It read: “Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as Sporting Director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.

“We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.”

The true effect of Ashworth’s time in charge won’t be felt immediately, but he certainly left a tangible impact.

Ashworth was said to have been one of the driving forces behind keeping – and subsequently backing – Erik ten Hag during the summer – a decision that was said to have annoyed INEOS bigwig Ratcliffe.

Then came the summer transfer window, with over £170m spent on players to suit Ten Hag’s style of play, only for the Dutchman to be sacked three months into the campaign.

It comes after Ratcliffe sent out a steely message in a recent interview with United We Stand this week, with the Brit saying: “There is major change to come to achieve elite status. If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change.

“Manchester United must have the best recruitment in the world. You can’t just flick a light switch and sort out recruitment. It’s all about people and we need to find the right ones.”