Manchester United interim head coach Darren Fletcher has revealed he asked for “the blessing” of the club’s legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson before accepting the job.

Fletcher – a former United academy graduate who made 342 appearances for the club between 2003 and 2015, the majority under Ferguson – has been placed in charge on an interim basis following the departure of Ruben Amorim on Monday.

The former Scotland international will lead the team for Wednesday’s visit to Burnley in the Premier League. He will be joined on the touchline by former team-mate Jonny Evans, who retired from playing last summer, as well as Under-21s head coach Travis Binnion and assistant Alan Wright.

It remains unclear if an appointment, either on a permanent or caretaker basis, will be made ahead of the FA Cup third-round visit of Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. T_he Athletic_ reported on Tuesday that former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a leading contender to become United’s caretaker manager after holding talks with the club.

Fletcher – who revealed he will discuss his own own future after the Burnley game – says he sought Ferguson’s advice, and suggested he would not have accepted the role without the approval of his compatriot.

“I have (spoken to him),” Fletcher said. “I don’t like to make any major decisions or things without speaking to Sir Alex and that’s something I’ve done since I’ve been at the club and since I’ve left the club and (in) everything I do. I’ve got a really good relationship with Sir Alex, so he’s probably the first person on the phone actually, so I wanted to speak to him first.

“And ultimately to get his blessing, to be perfectly honest with you – I think he deserves that respect. I wanted to run it by him, (find out) what he thought and he was supportive of it and he echoed my thoughts which I’ve always said. (He said), ‘When you’re an employee of the club, it’s your job to do your best for Manchester United.’

“It’s amazing when he says something that I try and live and believe every day, so it was comforting for me for him to say that.”

Fletcher and Ferguson at a press conference in 2011 (Clint Hughes/Getty Images)

Many of Fletcher’s former teammates under Ferguson are now influential voices in the media, particuarly Gary Neville and Roy Keane. Amorim suggested the opinions of Neville and others impacted his players and informed club policy.

Fletcher, though, says he has no plans to ask his former teammates to tone down their rhetoric, and believes the players must learn to “embrace the challenge” of representing the club.