Man Utd interim boss Michael Carrick is now “nailed on” to get the permanent job if he qualifies for the Champions League, according to a former Premier League CEO.

The Red Devils have come on leaps and bounds since sacking Ruben Amorim earlier this year after a miserable 14 months in charge for the former Sporting CP head coach.

Carrick has won five and drawn one of his six matches since taking over as interim head coach until the end of the season with Man Utdto appoint a permanent successor to Amorim in the summer.

There have been numerous names linked with the Old Trafford job but Carrick has put himself in a great position to land the permanent gig as Man Utd have moved into the Champions League places.

A 1-0 win over Everton on Monday night saw fourth-placed Man Utd move to within three points of third-placed Aston Villa, who were tipped as outsiders for the Premier League title only a couple of months ago.

And now former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown insists that Carrick is “very well-liked” by players and the hierarchy and he expects him to land the permanent job in the summer.

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Brown told?Football Insider: “The Everton result is a big one for Man United.

“Some of the teams around them dropped points. It gets them into a stronger position in the league, going above Chelsea, closing the gap to Villa.

“Carrick continues to impress, the players clearly like him and there’s a real good feeling around the club that hasn’t been there for a long time.

“I think he will get the job at the end of the season, they won’t make the decision now though.

“But from what I hear coming out of the club, everybody has taken to him and his style and he’s very well-liked both by the higher-ups and with the players.

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“That can be the most challenging thing sometimes, getting some of the big influential players on side, but he has done that already.

“If results keep going the way they have been, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be given the job, and hopefully he continues the way he has started.”

Our friends at TEAMtalkrevealed earlier this week that the Man Utd hierarchy, including director of football Jason Wilcox, are ‘quietly thrilled’ with Carrick’s tenure so far.

And former Everton CEO Keith Wyness agrees that Carrick is likely to get the permanent job with Champions League qualification set to be crucial.

Wyness told Football Insider: “Carrick?has given Ratcliffe a lot of cover, by the way, in?the PR and the media, by what?he’s?done, and a lot of cover from the fans who are getting?really angry?about the way things were going under Amorim.

“So?I think, you know, Ratcliffe owes?Carrick?one, in a sense.?I think it would take a lot for him, it would take a real collapse in results for him not to get the job.

“But I think it would be nailed on certainty if he gets Champions League qualification.?Don’t?forget this year it looks like five clubs will be there. So United?have got?every chance of getting that done.”