United and Liverpool met the potential candidates before any decision was made by the nominations committee

Rivals to Liverpool and Manchester United are up in arms after the two clubs appeared to be given special access to vet candidates to be the Premier League’s chief executive.

The recruitment process to find the person to succeed Richard Scudamore was run by a nominations committee headed by Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman, with Burnley’s chairman Mike Garlick and Leicester City’s chief executive Susan Whelan also involved.

It has now emerged that Liverpool and Manchester United met at least three candidates — Susanna Dinnage, who pulled out of the appointment, the NBC executive Dave Howe, who appears to have been vetoed from taking up the post, and David Pemsel, who withdrew after allegations about his private life.

The meetings are understood to have taken