Portsmouth have appointed former Manchester United assistant Brian Kidd to assist caretaker manager Paul Hart.

The 59-year-old will work alongside Hart while Pompey continue their search for a new manager after Tony Adams was sacked on Monday.

"Brian is a fantastic coach with a great track record," Hart told the club's website.

"We have known each other for an awfully long time and I'm delighted he's coming here to assist me."

Adams was dismissed along with first-team coach John Metgod after winning just two of 16 Premier League games since taking over on 28 October.

Dutchman Metgod has accused the club of not giving the coaching staff a chance to show what they are capable of at Fratton Park and believes they weren't helped by the departures of key players in January.

"For three months I worked well at Portsmouth," he said. "We often put on good performances

"The personal situation of club owner Alexandre Gaydamak played an important role. The financial crisis meant he was having problems and therefore sold players for millions.

"In the Premier League no other club has given up as much quality as Portsmouth. We were a ticking time b****."

He added: "Adams is an excellent coach, I got on really well with him and as a craftsman I have him high in my mind.

"If there is a chance, I want to work with him again - in England or Holland."

Kidd started his managerial career at Preston before moving to United as youth team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson.

In 1991 he became Ferguson's assistant at Old Trafford, helping the club win four Premier League titles and two FA Cup's, before a brief spell in charge of Blackburn Rovers.

He later spent over a year as Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant with England and also worked under Neil Warnock and Bryan Robson at Sheffield United.

Any reunion with Eriksson, however, is unlikely after the Swede played down reports linking him with the vacant position, insisting he is happy with his role in charge of the Mexican national team.

Portsmouth have said that Kidd's position will be reviewed when a new manager is appointed.