Wilcox said the past year had brought meaningful progress towards the club's long-term goals and believes the structures and procedures now in place can deliver consistent success.

He also revealed preparations for the new campaign are continuing behind the scenes, while a strong winning mentality is taking shape at Carrington.

The director of football credited head coach Michael Carrick for his work, saying he deserves the chance to remain in charge.

"Last season, I wrote about the sense of responsibility to help get this great club back to the top," Jason Wilcox wrote in a column for the club's Official Yearbook.

"A year on, we can be proud of the progress we have made towards our ultimate goals. We have taken great strides forward and can be confident that we have the right structures and processes in place to achieve regular and sustained success in the future.

"Michael has done an excellent job and thoroughly earned the opportunity to continue as head coach of our men's team. The results speak for themselves, with United picking up the highest points tally in the Premier League since he returned to the club. Everyone is delighted with Michael's leadership and total alignment with our club's values.

"The hard work continues behind the scenes to prepare his first-team squad for next season. We can all be proud of the winning culture that is developing at Carrington as we continue to build a talented and determined group of players ready to compete across all four competitions.

"We are also making great progress with the Academy. There is so much fantastic work going on with our younger age groups, which will ultimately build the foundations for our future successes.

"You can sense the anticipation across the club for another exciting season ahead. I hope that you are all also looking forward to the return of special European nights for our men's team at Old Trafford.

"On behalf of everyone at the club I am grateful for the opportunity to directly thank you for your unwavering support, the importance of which certainly does not go unnoticed or underappreciated.

"We remain hugely ambitious, and our burning desire for every Manchester United team to compete for the biggest honours continues to drive us forward."

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