David Beckham has explained why he “likes” Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Manchester United, labelling the INEOS chief one of the best and biggest businessmen.

The unpopular Glazer family ownership group at Old Trafford agreed to sell a 25 per cent stake to Ratcliffe – who is Britain’s richest man – in February 2024. He wasted little time when it comes to implementing change, particularly behind the scenes, while ambitious plans for the future – including a new stadium – have been drawn up.

Not every Ratcliffe decision has proved popular, with it revealed that legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson is being removed from an ambassadorial role, and questions are being asked of why under-fire head coach Erik ten Hag remains at the helm.

United icon Beckham is, however, convinced that the Premier League giants have the right man calling the shots. The ex-England captain, who is now co-owner at MLS side Inter Miami, said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: “I think that it definitely needed change. I think, speaking as a United fan, I think many people said the club needed change and it needed a fresh perspective on how this club needs to be run and the decisions that are made.

“I really like Jim, I've met him a few times over the years with a few mutual friends. I think that he's a fan and obviously he's a great businessman as well, one of the best and one of the biggest. But I think more importantly the fans see that he cares and I think that that's a big part of it.

“I think the fans had lost faith with the leadership over the years and obviously he really cares about, you know, what he wants to do and what he wants to create. So hopefully things will change, but these things take time. I think we've been quite patient as United fans over the years, but we want those good old days back. We want those days back, and the sooner the better.”

United are still searching for consistency in the present, having failed to win the Premier League title since Ferguson retired in 2013. Ten Hag is under pressure to deliver, with Ratcliffe and his team of directors needing to get big decisions right heading forward.