Holland joined as Michael Carrick's assistant in January when Carrick was appointed following the sacking of Rúben Amorim, with what was understood to be a six-month commitment. The results that followed — Champions League qualification with three matches to spare, a third-place Premier League finish — changed the calculation. United wanted him to stay and he agreed to extend.
Those who have worked closely with Holland describe someone whose influence is difficult to quantify from the outside but impossible to ignore from within.
Allan Russell, who spent four years alongside Holland as England's attacking and set-piece coach under Gareth Southgate, did not hesitate when asked about his impact.
"He is a genius," Russell told the Manchester Evening News. "The way I work and coach now, 75 per cent of it is because of Steve Holland. The way he works to prepare sessions, to deliver sessions, to debrief sessions. The way he communicates with staff and communicates with players. Michael Carrick is so lucky, and he chose so wisely with Steve."
On the training field, Holland's distinction is what he is able to identify and articulate instantly.
"I would go upstairs with the analysts in the first half, so I could come down at half-time with three key in-possession and three key out-of-possession points to present," Russell recalled of the 2018 World Cup. "I used to say, honestly, there's no point in us doing this because Steve would have spotted it anyway."
The point Russell kept returning to was not tactical brilliance alone but communication — the capacity to strip a message down to its essential truth and deliver it at exactly the right moment.
"His ability to communicate what needs to be communicated without adding extra nonsense around that is his strength. He always does it in such a respectful manner. He's been in the game so long that he doesn't need to listen to all the noise that people talk. He can cut through the smoke in any room and give you the most powerful message."
Harry Maguire has praised Holland for drilling "basics" into the squad at Carrington. Mason Mount has called him "a special person" with a football brain that commands instant respect. Holland has been described by colleagues within the staff as "a bit more reserved" than first-team coaches Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans, but an authority figure at precisely the moments that require one.
His career background explains the aura. He spent several years at Chelsea working under José Mourinho, Rafael Benítez, Roberto Di Matteo and Antonio Conte before joining England in 2016. When he left Stamford Bridge, a disappointed Conte said: "It's a pity to lose him. He was helping me a lot."
Asked who the greatest influence on his coaching career has been, Holland's answer required no deliberation.
"To answer your question straight away, it's (Jose) Mourinho."
That pragmatist instinct has occasionally put Holland in mild tension with more attack-minded colleagues. Russell recalled committing seven players to the penalty area at set-pieces when Holland, by preference, would keep another man behind the ball. The image of Mourinho driving that restraint was never far away.
"Mourinho is Steve's mentor, and I never saw José committing seven players to the box."
Holland is a lifelong Manchester United fan — born in Stockport and admitted to having supported the club all his life. He spent one season managing Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan before returning to European football when United called.
Russell's summation was the simplest: "He brings stability. He will provide loyalty, a powerful aura. When Steve comes into the room, the room listens. I just think he brings a powerful stability."
That quality, at a club that has spent the better part of a decade searching for exactly that, may be what matters most.