Manchester United legend David Beckham has hailed Michael Carrick for bringing a calming presence to Old Trafford, saying the last few months have been more comfortable than the last decade

David Beckham has praised Michael Carrick for restoring a sense of calm to Manchester United – something he feels has been absent for a decade. Carrick has triumphed in seven of his 10 fixtures since taking on the interim head coach’s role in January and has built a compelling argument to get the job on a permanent basis this summer.

United faced an uphill task to qualify for the Champions League at the time when Ruben Amorim was dismissed at the beginning of the year, with the squad languishing in sixth place in the Premier League.

Carrick has suffered defeat only once thus far, amassing 23 points from a possible 30 in the league to lift the team up to third as they pursue qualification for next season’s Champions League.

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The former midfielder has made an outstanding impression on the squad and his influence is such that director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada have yet to engage in discussions with potential candidates for the permanent role.

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Carrick’s prospects of securing the position grow stronger with each result and Beckham has become the latest high-profile former player to express his admiration.

“Yeah, I must admit, the last few months have been a lot more comfortable than the last 10 years, to be honest. It’s been tough over that time,” Beckham said when asked on talkSPORT if he was surprised by Carrick’s success at United so far.

“But I think Michael’s got experience. I think he’s got a calmness about him that he’s brought into the club. He knows the club. He knows the players. He knows the way Man United play and the way Man United should play.

“And I’ve always liked Michael as a coach. You know, when you look at him, there’s a calmness. There’s, on the side of the pitch, there’s, I don’t want to say elegance because I’m not sure that’s the right thing to say, but there’s an elegance in the way he is, whether it’s the way he celebrates, whether it’s the way he gets angry.

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“You know, all of those things are important in a manager. And I think that the way he’s got the team and brought the team together has been, has been incredible. And I think as a United fan, it’s exactly what we needed.”

Carrick has repeatedly deflected questions regarding securing the role on a permanent basis, remaining firmly focused on the outstanding seven Premier League fixtures, reports the Mirror.

United enjoy a six-point cushion over Liverpool in fifth place and, with no other competitions to contend with, are strong contenders to secure a top-four finish.

United’s leadership installed Carrick on a deal until the end of the campaign, always intending to take their time before settling on a permanent replacement for Amorim.

The club have been linked with Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Roberto De Zerbi, formerly of Marseille, along with ex-England boss Gareth Southgate.

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A former Manchester United forward, who made over 300 appearances for the club, has been hit with disciplinary action

Life after Manchester United hasn’t been a walk in the park for Anthony Martial.

The Frenchman, who scored 90 goals in 317 appearances for the club, has reportedly been banished from first team training at his current club Monterrey. It came after he threw a strop after being overlooked as a substitute during their clash with Chivas de Guadalajara last weekend.

According to Mexican outlet TUDN, Martial was left fuming when youngster Joaquin Moxica was brought on from the bench instead of him with 15 minutes to go while Monterrey were 3-0 down.

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His angry reaction was spotted by coaching staff, who reported it to manager Nicolas Sanchez. As punishment, Martial was ordered to train away from the main group until the end of the week.

Despite Martial’s protests, the decision proved inspired: Monterrey surged back late on, scoring twice to cut the deficit to 3-2 and set up a tense finish. Ultimately, however, Guadalajara held firm to secure the victory.

It’s perhaps no surprise that Martial was overlooked on Sunday given his struggles in Mexico. Since joining Monterrey last September, the 30-year-old has managed just one goal in 21 appearances.

Martial moved to Old Trafford in 2015 for an initial £36million fee – the highest ever paid for a teenager at the time. With add-ons and bonus clauses – including one now-infamous Ballon d’Or-winning stipulation – the transfer fee could have risen to £57.6m, though United ultimately paid £44.7m.

His career in Manchester started brightly, with Martial scoring against Liverpool on his debut. He went on to net 17 goals in all competitions that season and looked destined to become the focal point of United’s attack.

But managerial changes, fluctuating form and recurring injury problems made consistency elusive. In five of his nine seasons at Old Trafford, Martial’s goal tally remained in single figures. He enjoyed a standout 2019/20 campaign, scoring a career-best 23 goals – but managed just 19 across the four seasons that followed.

Midway through the 2021/22 season he was loaned to Sevilla, having spent much of the campaign warming the bench following the summer arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. However, he struggled in Spain, scoring just once in 12 appearances.

The curtain was finally brought down on Martial’s United career in 2024 when he left following the end of his contract. He subsequently joined AEK Athens before eventually moving to Monterrey a year later.

The France international had to wait 15 games to open his account for Monterrey, finally doing so against relegation-threatened Mazatlan in a match where he also provided two assists. Since then, however, the goals have dried up again.

Mexico and Portugal ​played out a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Azteca on Saturday in a friendly to mark the stadium’s reopening ahead of the World Cup.

The match doubled as a test event ⁠for the revamped stadium, drawing a festive crowd eager to sample the atmosphere ahead of the June 11 to July 19 global football showpiece, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada.

“It’s the best possible scenario, ⁠as I’ve said; to play here, ​you’ve ⁠got to have guts, because the fans are demanding and want to win and see good football,” Mexico coach ⁠Javier Aguirre told reporters.

“The players gave it their all right to ​the ⁠end against Portugal, who are ‌not an easy team. They’re a top-10 side, a really solid team.”

Portugal’s Joao Felix went close in the 14th minute before Goncalo ‌Ramos struck the post midway through the ‌first half.

The visitors continued to look the more dangerous side after the break, with Bruno Fernandes firing just wide.

Tensions briefly flared between Pedro Neto and Jesus Gallardo, ⁠while the introduction of Toluca’s Portuguese striker Paulinho was met with loud cheers from the home crowd.

Mexico almost claimed a late winner through substitute Armando Gonzalez ⁠but the forward’s header went wide.

“I think we had 10 shots on goal, which isn’t far off what we were aiming for,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.

“What isn’t good is the number of shots on target; we lacked accuracy. Success or failure isn’t just about the ‌score. There are many more factors at play these days. ​I think that, after 90 minutes, the team is ‌better prepared for the World ⁠Cup.”

Mexico, who were booed by sections of the crowd ‌at the final ​whistle, face Belgium in another friendly ‌on Tuesday, while Portugal take on ​the United States the same day.

Ahead of the Grand Prix of Alabama, an IndyCar driver walked away from a scary crash that prompted an emergency response.

Scott McLaughlin lost control of his car attempting to make a hard left turn. Commentators estimated he was traveling at least 150 mph at impact.

The car went off course and crashed into the wall, rear end first. 

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Scott McLaughlin, driving the Team Penske Chevrolet during the NTT IndyCar Series’ Children’s Of Alabama Indy Grand Prix March 27, 2026, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.  (Brett Farmer/Lumen via Getty Images)

A view from inside of McLaughlin’s car showed McLaughin bringing his hands to his head when he began to lose control.

McLaughlin was able to walk away from the wreck on his own.

McLaughlin has seven victories to his name, including two in Alabama in 2023 and 2024. He also finished in third place at the race last year.

Scott McLaughlin during the NTT IndyCar Series Children’s Of Alabama Indy Grand Prix March 27, 2026, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.  (Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)

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His best finish in the Indy 500 was sixth two years ago after earning the pole position. Last year, he crashed during the pace laps and finished 30th.

Scott McLaughlin during the NTT IndyCar Series Java House Grand Prix of Arlington March 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.  (Perry Nelson/Lumen via Getty Images)

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McLaughlin has finished in third in the IndyCar Series twice, doing so in 2023 and 2024. He made his IndyCar Series debut in 2020 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

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NEW DELHI: Sam Curran has opened up on the groin injury that ruled him out of IPL 2026, admitting the issue had been building for a while before finally forcing a “tough decision” to withdraw.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The England all-rounder, who was set to represent Rajasthan Royals after a trade move, pulled out just ahead of the tournament following the T20 World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals.