5:19 Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho, with Michael Carrick placed in temporary charge Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho, with Michael Carrick placed in temporary charge

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United.

The Portuguese was told of his fate at around 9am on Tuesday in a face-to-face meeting with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at United's Carrington training base, Sky Sports News understands.

Woodward was keen to speak to Mourinho in person and the 55-year-old then departed Carrington at around 12.20pm.

Michael Carrick will take care of first-team affairs before a new interim manager is put in charge until the end of the season. The external appointment is expected to be announced within the next 48 hours.

United are understood to be interested in hiring a technical director for the first time in their history with the new man expected to be in place before they appoint a permanent successor to Mourinho in the summer.

Mourinho's future had been the subject of intense scrutiny this season - and the club's worst start to a campaign in 28 years was confirmed with defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.

Mourinho's final game in charge was a 3-1 defeat to rivals Liverpool

The 55-year-old Portuguese insisted at Anfield that he had not lost the dressing room, as his team sat sixth in the Premier League table and 11 points off the Champions League places.

Woodward is understood to have told Mourinho of his fate shortly before the club announced that "manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect".

The United statement continued: "The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.

"A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager."

4:13 Watch Mourinho's final interview with Sky Sports as Man Utd manager, in which he insisted he had not lost the dressing room Watch Mourinho's final interview with Sky Sports as Man Utd manager, in which he insisted he had not lost the dressing room

Mourinho only signed a new two-year contract until 2020 earlier this year but his troubled season began when he publicly criticised the United board for not backing him in the summer transfer market.

He had wanted at least one new centre-back but he did not get one, with the club signing £50m midfielder Fred, Porto youngster Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant as a backup goalkeeper.

Fractures in his relationship with Paul Pogba began to emerge in September and the France World Cup winner was stripped of the vice-captaincy before Sky Sports News filmed them having an animated disagreement on the training ground.

Pogba was left on the bench for the game against Liverpool on Sunday along with other star players such as Anthony Martial, whose ongoing contract dispute with the club has only added to the inner turmoil at Old Trafford.

Mourinho leaves having won a Europa League and EFL Cup double in 2016-17, winning 84 of his 144 matches in charge.