'I really like Jim' - David Beckham backs Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Manchester United with Glazers dig

David Beckham has called for patience as Sir Jim Ratcliffe tries to bring success back to Manchester United, but backed the billionaire to make a difference at Old Trafford because "he cares".

Beckham, who famously backed United fans' green and gold protest against the Glazers ownership when returning to the club with AC Milan in 2010, made a point of emphasising Ratcliffe's connection to the club as he spoke about his early impressions of the Ineos regime.

Ratcliffe's £1.25bn investment saw him become a minority owner in February but the 71-year-old has taken control of running the club from the Glazers and has been a much more hands-on investor than the American family, attending games regularly and pushing ahead with plans to build a new stadium.

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Beckham and Ratcliffe have spoken in the past through mutual friends and United's former winger said in an appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast that the Failsworth-born businessman can have an impact on the club's fortunes.

"I think that it definitely needed change. I think, as speaking as a United fan, I think that, many people had said that, the club needed change and it needed a fresh perspective in how this club needs to be run and the decisions that are made," he said.

"I really like Jim, you know, I've met him a few times over the years with a few mutual friends and, you know, 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