'I was sacked from £175k Man Utd job by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and what he said is dangerous'

A key figure at who was ruthlessly axed by this year has spoken out about the INEOS chief's "dangerous" comments since her release. The British billionaire has made more than 600 club redundancies since becoming a minority owner last February, had cutbacks not been made.

He cited the role of Kirsten Heukels, a body language consultant hired under Erik ten Hag's reign, as an area where the club had wasted funding. Although the 72-year-old didn't name the Dutchwoman directly, he made a point of highlighting her salary of almost £175,000-a-year.

Heukels is perceived to have played a critical role in the club's win in the 2023/24 season. Her primary role under Ten Hag was to analyse goalkeepers and penalty takers, with Andre Onana proving the hero of their semi-final shootout win over

She's now insisted she still looks back at her time at Old Trafford with pride, telling : "I believe it was a courageous thing that the team did back then. And I'm proud of what we achieved. The achievements are in the data, so they are proven. I don't need to explain that to anybody."

Under , the Red Devils have endured a wretched season, finishing trophyless and 17th in the . Heukels refused to be critical of their plight, but did take aim at Ratcliffe's blunt public statements.

"I don't know enough about him or United today because I'm not involved," she continued. "But it's always dangerous to talk about your predecessors this way."

Heukels' worth had become apparent 12 months before the FA Cup glory, when United were beaten in the final at Wembley by . In the semi-final, United beat Brighton on penalties, and a month later, David de Gea saved a spot-kick at Old Trafford for the first time since 2014.

However, it was Onan's display under pressure against Coventry that she considers her defining moment at United before being sacked by Ratcliffe. Smiling, she candidly admitted: "I almost cried out of stress."