His role as Scotland Under-21 manager has not delayed his appointment and he was unveiled as the new Fir Park boss at lunchtime today.

Hegarty is now odds-on to be the new No. 2 at Fir Park. That will represent a role-reversal for the pair, who were caretaker manager and assistant for a spell at Tannadice shortly after Eddie Thompson took over.

They were also, of course, linchpins of the United side that won the league in 1983 then reached the UEFA Cup Final four years later, while Malpas then skippered the Tangerines to their Scottish Cup success in 1994.

Motherwell moved to promote him after Butcher signed a two-year contract to coach the Aussie A-League champions.

He has spent the last five days Down Under looking at facilities and speaking with officials and will take control of the team on July 10, after radio commitments at the World Cup.

“It is a wonderful opportunity,” he said. I had four wonderful years at Motherwell and I leave Scotland with good memories, but football in Australia is taking giant leaps forward and I am looking forward to being a part of it.”

“I have seen the club’s facilities and they are top class. The squad is very talented and I have been impressed by the ambition of the club since arriving here last week.”

Back at Tannadice, it has emerged newly-promoted Partick Thistle would like to take old boy Alan Archibald back to Firhill in time for their return to the First Division next season.

Archibald spent seven seasons with the Jags before moving to United three years ago. Although he was dropped for a spell after Craig Brewster took over as manager, there has been no indication he is not part of the plans for next term.

The fact he can play left-back as well as in the centre of the defence could make him too valuable a member of the squad to part with.

Regarding moves in the other direction, although United remain confident of securing at least a couple of their Inverness Caley Thistle targets, Ian Black, Darren Dods and David Proctor, they will be looking to pay a five-figure sum and not the £100,000-plus the Highlanders have been talking about.

As well as new signings, the manager has been working towards doing a deal with St Andrews University to secure training facilities there from next season onwards.

Back with the Under 21s, and coach Malpas felt a refereeing error had cost his side the game 1-0 in the friendly against their Northern Ireland counterparts in Drumahoe last night.

He felt Anthony Buttimer should have waved play on as Kirk Broadfoot had directed the ball back to goalkeeper David Marshall with his knee.

As it was, Thomas Stewart’s controversial winner came after the hotly-disputed indirect free-kick by Bryan Gilfillan inside the area was played to him.

It was a goal that extended the province’s unbeaten run to 12 matches.

Malpas said, “The referee made a howler. There’s nothing we can do about that now.”