MANCHESTER United have announced manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.

A statement from United on Tuesday morning said: "The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.

"A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager."

The news comes two days after United's 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool, which left them 19 points behind the table-topping Reds in sixth place, and 11 points off the top four.

Mourinho took charge at United, succeeding Louis van Gaal, in the summer of 2016 and they won the Europa League and League Cup in their first season under the Portuguese.

The Red Devils then finished second in the Premier League last term, before making a troubled start to this season, winning only seven of 17 league games and being knocked out of the League Cup at home by Championship club Derby.

United are due to face Newcastle on January 2 at St James' Park.

Five possible contenders to become United's fourth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Zinedine Zidane

The former Real Madrid manager has been heavily linked with United since leaving the Bernabeu in May. The 46-year-old made the rare journey from great player to great coach in under two-and-a-half years in charge of Real. In that time he became the first manager to win the European Cup or Champions League in three consecutive seasons while playing an exciting brand of football. Zidane's appointment would create a huge buzz at Old Trafford.

Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham manager Pochettino has been on United's radar ever since he lunched with Ferguson at a Mayfair restaurant in 2016. Not winning any trophies has been the stick to beat 46-year-old Pochettino with during his time in north London. But the Argentinian plays bright, attacking football and was high on United's list of targets to replace Louis van Gaal. Influential figures at Old Trafford are said to be big fans of Pochettino, who throughout his career has blooded young players in the United way. But prizing him away from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would prove extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Didier Deschamps

United fans of a certain vintage will recall Deschamps being described by their former favourite Eric Cantona as a "water carrier" and a Juventus foe playing against Ferguson teams of the 1990s. The 49-year-old might not have been the most stylish of players, but his France team which won the 2018 World Cup had it in spades. Deschamps has club experience at Monaco, Juventus and Marseille, but could he be tempted away from the France national team where he has a contract until 2020?

Laurent Blanc

The former France international and manager has great pedigree with the club after spending his final two years as a player at Old Trafford. Blanc, a no-nonsense centre-back in his playing days, finished his career with a Premier League winners' medal under Sir Alex Ferguson. He guided Bordeaux to an unlikely second-placed finish in his first season before claiming the Ligue 1 title the following year after setting a then competition record of 11 straight victories. Blanc became France manager in 2010 and lost to eventual 2012 World Cup winners Spain at the quarter-final stage before stepping down after the tournament. Paris St Germain followed, where he won 11 trophies in three seasons before he left in 2016. Blanc may have been out of the game for two years, but he demands an expansive brand of football which United fans are craving for.

Ryan Giggs

The Wales manager is amongst the greatest players ever to represent United, making a club-record 963 appearances between 1991 and 2014. He spent four games as United interim manager after David Moyes was sacked in 2014 and two years as Van Gaal's assistant. The 44-year-old left United when Mourinho was appointed in 2016. Giggs would be a popular appointment with many fans keen to reconnect with its traditions. But questions would be asked whether he has enough experience to do the job, despite the bright start he has made with Wales.

Jose Mourinho Timeline

Here, Press Association Sport looks at a timeline of the ups and downs of 55-year-old's tenure at Old Trafford.

May 27, 2016 - Appointed as Manchester United manager, replacing Louis van Gaal.

August 7, 2016 - Wins first silverware at United with a 2-1 victory over Premier League champions Leicester in the Community Shield at Wembley, new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores the winner.

September 11, 2016 - Defeat to old foe Pep Guardiola in the pair's first derby clash in England as Manchester City win 2-1 at Old Trafford.

October 23, 2016 - A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of former club Chelsea on his return to Stamford Bridge.

October 29, 2016 - Sent to the stands at half-time for protesting a decision against his side in a 0-0 home draw against Burnley.

February 26, 2017 - Ibrahimovic scores twice as the Red Devils beat Southampton 3-2 to lift the EFL Cup - Mourinho becomes the first United manager to win silverware in his debut season at the club.

May 21, 2017 - Ends Premier League season with home win against Crystal Palace as United finish sixth, 24 points behind champions Chelsea.

May 24, 2017 - Guides United to the Europa League with a 2-0 victory over Ajax in Stockholm.

August 8, 2017 - 2-1 defeat to former club Real Madrid in the Super Cup, new signing Romelu Lukaku scores the consolation.

October 21, 2017 - A 13-match unbeaten run across all competitions to start the season ends with a 2-1 loss at newly-promoted Huddersfield.

December 20, 2017 - A 2-1 quarter-final defeat at Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City ends United's hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup.

January 26, 2018 - Signs a new contract to remain as United boss until 2020, with the option of a further year.

March 13, 2018 - Sevilla knock United out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford after a goalless first leg in Spain.

April 7, 2018 - Paul Pogba scores twice and Chris Smalling gets the winner as United come from two goals behind to win 3-2 at Manchester City and prevent Guardiola's side securing the Premier League title in the derby.

May 12, 2018 - Rui Faria announces he will quit as Mourinho's assistant at the end of the season, the pair having worked together at various clubs since 2002.

May 19, 2018 - FA Cup final defeat against Chelsea as Eden Hazard's penalty secures a 1-0 win for the Blues.

August 27, 2018 - Defeat at Brighton in the second game of the season is followed up by a 3-0 loss at home to Tottenham - the worst home defeat of Mourinho's career.

September 29, 2018 - A five-match unbeaten run in all competitions was abruptly ended with a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium.

November 11, 2018 - Three straight wins, including an incredible 2-1 comeback victory at Juventus, looked to put Mourinho's side back in form but they fell to a 3-1 derby defeat at Manchester City to pile the pressure back on the Portugese manager.

December 16, 2018 - A last-gasp 1-0 win at home to Young Boys saw United qualify for the Champions League knockout stages gave Mourinho a stay of execution, but a final matchday loss at Valencia was followed by a heavy 3-1 reverse to Liverpool at Anfield cranked up the pressure.

December 18, 2018 - Just two days after their first defeat in nine league matches against their north-west rivals, Manchester United announced the Portuguese was sacked by the club on Tuesday morning.