Former defender Patrice Evra has sent a message of support to newly-appointed Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold.
United, on Thursday, confirmed that Arnold will step into the role from February 1, to replace the outgoing Ed Woodward — who will soon step down from his role as executive vice-chairman, following a nine-year spell as the man who made most of the big decisions at Old Trafford.
Woodward will officially leave the club in April, but will be succeeded by Arnold in a little more than three weeks' time.
Arnold, who has worked at United since 2007, will be tasked setting United back on the right track after a troublesome period, both on and off the pitch.
One of his biggest responsibilities will be to oversee the business side of proceedings at Old Trafford, leaving the football-related and on-field decisions to those that know that side of the operation best, such as Ralf Rangnick, John Murtough and Darren Fletcher.
Nevertheless, former United man Evra has welcomed the club's decision to install Arnold as Woodward's replacement from next month, openly wishing him all the best in a social media post.
Replying to United's announcement, confirming Arnold's appointment, Evra wrote on Instagram: "@ManchesterUnited we stand together. Good luck Richard."
Evra is not the only former United player to have approved of the club's decision to appoint Arnold as their new CEO, with the decision also being hailed by former club captain Bryan Robson.
Robson told MUTV: "I've travelled all round the world with Richard over the years and you can see how determined he is.
"His man management skills are great, and he’s been very successful for this football club since he took over on the commercial side. If you look at our transfers last summer and the money that we paid, a lot of that is down to the commercial aspects which Richard has brought into the club.
"But he knows that no matter how good you are commercially, the most important thing is getting it right on the pitch. I know Richard understands that and he'll do his utmost to make it happen. He knows it’s really important to win trophies, and I think what the club have done is put John Murtough and Darren Fletcher in place to bring players in and have an opinion on that.
"I'm sure that Richard, on certain football aspects, will ask people like David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson for their opinion, because they're passionate about the club. Richard is [also] passionate about the football club and the biggest thing I can say is I know he will want it to be successful. He’s really dedicated and hard-working, and I think it’s a great appointment."
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