Fulham have confirmed the appointment of Rene Meulensteen as head coach.

Meulensteen, who was previously part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s backroom staff at Manchester United, will work alongside Whites boss Martin Jol, the club have announced.

Fulham had been in discussions with Meulensteen for some time, although the 49-year-old Dutchman was also approached by managerless Crystal Palace.

“We are all delighted to welcome Rene to Fulham,” said chief executive Alistair Mackintosh. “There was always going to be a battle for Rene’s services and, with the assistance of our chairman Shahid Khan, we have been able to bring one of the best coaches in the world to Fulham.”

Meulensteen left United following Ferguson’s retirement at the end of last season and was subsequently sacked by Anzhi Makhachkala only 16 days after taking charge at the Russian club.

“I was impressed by the vision of Shahid Khan and Alistair Mackintosh,” he said.

“I have spent many hours talking with Martin Jol and we share a vision of how football should be played and how players should be developed.

“It is our job to make sure we can bring this vision to life on the pitch for the fans.”