New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin announced on Sunday that two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner will be his starting quarterback for this season.

Warner saw off the challenge of Eli Manning, who signed a six-year contract worth at least £25million with a £11million signing bonus last month after being selected number one overall in the 2004 draft.

After originally indicating that he would not name a starting quarterback until after the final pre-season game, Coughlin saw no reason to delay the decision after Manning struggled in the team's 17-10 pre-season loss to the New York Jets on Friday.

While Warner completed 9-of-11 passes for 104 yards and led the Giants to their only touchdown drive, Manning was 4-of-14 for just 20 yards with two interceptions.

He also lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Warner, 33, led the St Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 1999 when he won the first of two MVP awards. The Rams released him in late May because of salary cap reasons.

The Giants signed Warner on June 2 and released veteran Kerry Collins, who did not want to take a paycut and serve as a mentor to Manning.

Warner wrote perhaps the most amazing story in NFL history in the 1999 season, when he emerged from the Arena Football League to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl triumph over the Tennessee Titans.

The one-time journeyman won league MVP honours that year and in 2001, when the Rams again went to the Super Bowl, but injuries have plagued him the last two seasons and his production has declined. He lost his starting job to Marc Bulger last season after fumbling six times in a season-opening loss to the Giants.

It was learned that Warner played that game with a concussion, but he never regained his starting job.

Warner has thrown for 14,447 yards and 102 touchdowns in his career. In 1999, he threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns.

The son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the brother of Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning, Eli set or tied 47 single-game season or career records at Mississippi - more than half of which belonged to Archie. Last year, Eli led the Rebels to their first 10-win season in 22 years.

Like his brother Peyton, the 6ft 4in 1/2, 221-pound Eli has textbook throwing mechanics with a natural delivery and quick release.

He won the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top college player, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for the nation's top senior quarterback.