'It's only noise' - Michael Carrick reacts after Wayne Rooney urges Man Utd to appoint former midfielder as permanent boss

Demands for Michael Carrick to manage Manchester United permanently intensified following Sunday's 3-1 win over Aston Villa. Rooney told BBC Radio 5 Live the former midfielder is the right man to lead the club.

"One hundred per cent  he should [get the job]. I have said this. I knew this was going to happen with Michael Carrick. I know him very well. I know his character, his personality," he said.  "It needed a calm head, but someone who knows the place and the players needed some love, and he has given them that. We have seen the players play with more quality, more together as a team, and they look like a very strong team. For me, why would you change? He has got the best winning percentage of any Manchester United manager after that many games. For me, he has to get the job."

Despite the glowing endorsement from United's record goalscorer, Carrick refuses to get carried away. With seven wins from nine games, the interim manager has steered the Red Devils six points clear of Chelsea in the Champions League qualification race.

Asked about shutting out future conversations, he laughed. "There's not that much noise... It's only noise if you listen to it," he said. "It doesn't affect me one bit. I'm doing the best I can, loving it, and we keep pushing for more. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen."

A major factor in this success is Bruno Fernandes, who reached a historic milestone against Villa. The Portuguese playmaker became only the third player in United's Premier League history to record 100 goals and 100 assists, along with Rooney and Ryan Giggs.

Fernandes assisted Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, reaching 16 for the season. "Bruno has done it for a long period," Carrick noted. "In big moments, he's normally around it. Maybe he can break the single-season record... It happens naturally, but if he does, he's created goals for us, so I'll be happy."

United sit comfortably third in the Premier League with 54 points from 30 matches. This puts them in the driving seat for Champions League qualification, holding a three-point advantage over fourth-placed Villa and sitting six points clear of Chelsea.

Carrick's side face eight remaining league fixtures to secure top-four status. They host Leeds United, Brentford, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest, alongside away trips to Bournemouth, Chelsea, Sunderland, and a final-day showdown at Brighton.