David Beckham delivers verdict on Manchester United season and Cristiano Ronaldo future

Former midfielder David Beckham believes Manchester United's players have done "what they could do best" as the conclusion of a wretched campaign nears.

United's hopes of securing Champions League football for next season officially drew to a close on Saturday evening following a thumping 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard all got their names on the scoresheet to condemn United to a fifth successive away defeat.

The defeat on the south coast, which has left United sixth in the Premier League table with just one game left to play, sparked yet more criticism of the current squad, who have underperformed and let the club down on countless occasions this season. A huge rebuild is set to take place under new manager Erik ten Hag over the coming months and it cannot come quickly enough.

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However, despite United's defeat to Brighton ensuring that they hit a new low, despite this season having been littered with forgettable afternoons and evenings, former England captain Beckham refused to be too critical of his old club in a rare TV interview. Speaking ahead of the Miami Formula One Grand Prix, the former Reds star admitted that he felt United's players have tried their best this term.

"I think there are changes that needed to be made and changes that are happening, and we have seen that," Beckham told Sky Sports. "It is a tough end to the season, but it is the end of the season and I am sure the fans are thankful of that because it has been a tough one.

"It has been full of ups and downs and the players have done what they could do