TYPICALLY David Moyes did not hesitate about where he should be first on the day he was likely to be offered the Manchester United job.

He will have known his lucky numbers had come up when the news of Alex Ferguson’s Old Trafford retirement was confirmed yesterday morning.

It would be naive to think the 50-year-old had not been informed about his prospective upsurge in career status before United dropped their bombshell on the footballing world.

Some managers might have dived straight into lengthy talks with their agent. Others in his position may have headed immediately for London to see Bill Kenwright and smoothen their departure.

Instead Moyes went to Everton’s Finch Farm training ground and put his players through their paces like it was any other day.

There was a game to prepare for at the weekend and Moyes, professional to the last, did not want to disrupt that focus even as his own role at the club was increasingly destined to be over.

As he was on the training pitch running the players through their drills, his odds to succeed the most successful manager in the Premier League were swiftly plummeting.

Jose Mourinho – long-touted as another strong candidate to fill Ferguson’s considerable shoes – was swiftly over-taken.

Almost every major bookmaker had Moyes as favourite with odds ranging throughout the day from 1/4 to 1/12 and then even 1/20 with Stan James and BetFred.

Only when the routine of meticulous preparation for Sunday’s Goodison showdown with West Ham had been done for the day, did he head for the capital, driven by brother and agent Kenny.

There he finally sat down with his friend and chairman Kenwright to tell him the news that will dismay the blue half of Merseyside.

This was an offer too good to resist – even for a man who had seriously considered extending his Goodison reign with a new contract following a positive season.

Moyes had made no secret of his intention to make a final decision in June, when his current deal elapsed - but until United’s proposal he had far from given up on the Blues.

Yet amid the maelstrom of rumours concerning Ferguson’s retirement on Tuesday, it had seemed there were only three plausible candidates; Moyes, Mourinho and Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp.

Given the short timescale United are working to, it was impossible to imagine Klopp resigning before Dortmund’s Champions League final with Bayern Munich, whilst Sir Bobby Charlton, who has significant influence at Old Trafford, does not believe Mourinho’s capacity for external and internal conflict sits well.

That leaves Moyes – even if his European experience, limited to just 26 games, which have yielded 14 wins, is less than United have managed in the last three seasons alone.

Everton’s players and staff were aware something was happening, even if they had not officially been informed throughout yesterday.

Meanwhile, along the East Lancs, Moyes’ name was openly being discussed in the United dressing room.

It does not mean the Toffees will be without their manager for the final two games of the season.

It remains likely Moyes will want to end the campaign with the club he has grown to love over the last 11 years, and finish with a six-point flourish even if that is not enough to fulfil his aim of guiding them back into Europe.

Anyway, Ferguson has already stated he is not standing down until after his final game at West Brom on May 19.

The United legend has never made any secret of his admiration for a fellow Glaswegian, stating as recently as February that a failure to secure a top-four berth was not a slight on Moyes.

“He’s had 10 years at Everton - you don’t survive 10 years in this game without making progress, that’s obvious,” he said.

“I don’t think whether he gets in the top four changes mine, or anyone else’s opinion of him.”

It is highly likely that behind the scenes he has pushed for Moyes to be the anointed one.

And what of Everton? After all, while Ferguson’s departure may have been seismic along the M62 - Moyes’ exit will be equally significant for the Blues.

How can Kenwright and his board of directors begin to replace a man of Moyes’ experience, knowledge, dedication and suitability for working within the financial constraints of L4.

Miracle-workers do not grow on trees.

For Moyes the days of having to polish rough diamonds is over. He will have his long sought-after riches in abundance at United.

Yet Kenwright & Co must being plotting for his replacement in earnest. Roberto Martinez is a strong early contender, and the Wigan boss is much admired by the Goodison hierarchy.

They will also consider Moyes-like figures operating in the Championship, while Porto boss Vitor Pereira (an Andre Villas-Boas disciple with similar traits) is an intriguing prospect along with Celtic fire-brand Neil Lennon.

Moyes’ first official game in charge could well be the Community Shield against either Manchester City or Wigan at Wembley on August 11, which could have become Ferguson’s 50th trophy.

That statistic alone is enough to water the eyes of a man whose only silverware was the Second Division title he won at Preston in 2000.

How dearly Moyes would have liked to have garnished his emotional Everton tenure with a trophy. He and the supporters who have embraced and respected him have deserved one.

But in football, as in life, you don’t always get what you deserve. He has strived endlessly, and fallen just short with the odds stacked ever against him.

The odds are certainly in his favour now.