Malcolm Glazer, the man who lead the controversial takeover of Manchester United, has died, according to a statement from his NFL franchise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The American businessman, 86, leaves behind his wife, Linda, six children and 14 grandchildren.
The statement from the American Football team, which he also owns, said: 'The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are saddened to announce the passing of Owner/President Malcolm Glazer earlier this morning at the age of 86.'
Born in Rochester, New York as one of seven children, Glazer took over the family watch-parts business at age 15 following the death of his father and then continued his foray into the professional world, investing in other businesses.
Glazer owned or was a substantial shareholder of a diverse portfolio of international holdings and public companies, including: First Allied, Zapata Corporation, Houlihan’s Restaurant Chain, Harley Davidson, Formica, Tonka, Specialty Equipment and Omega Protein.
In 2005, Glazer purchased Manchester United and in that time the club earned five league titles, as well as a Champions League title.
But his tenure as owner has not been without controversy. Many supporter claim the squad has been on the decline since 2009 and the Glazer have been shielded by the ‘genius’ of long-serving former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
They claim club's spending power has been dented by spending hundreds of millions on financial restructuring and debt payments, and this has limited funds available for investment in the playing squad.
The club had no debts before the takeover and now owes nearly £400m.
Glazer, a resident of Palm Beach, Florida, had been in poor health since April 2006 when a pair of strokes left him with impaired speech and limited mobility in his right arm and leg.
His sons Joel, Bryan and Ed have looked after the running of both teams - including overseeing the appointment of Van Gaal to replace Reds manager David Moyes after his ill-fated regime.
A statement on the Manchester United website said: 'Glazer's death is not expected to have any significant effect on the ownership of United, with the family retaining a 90 per cent share in the club
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