Dr Rob Johnson, director of the Changing Character of Conflict Centre at Oxford University, said China is taking the steps that would be expected to have the ability to attack Taiwan, while Russia could well be readying to launch military operations against a NATO country. This comes on top of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is in its fifth year, and the US and Israeli war against Iran. Mr Johnson has compiled a list of 80 "indicators of conflict preparation and coming armed attack" by drawing on the lessons of history, including the run up to the Second World War. The indicators cover the kind of military activity and hostile diplomacy demonstrated by a nation that is preparing to launch an armed attack, as well as societal changes and government information campaigns. Asked how many of them are already flashing, Mr Johnson said: "If you look at the whole list, we're about 94%, 95% complete. "In other words, we're really quite close to the threat of an armed conflict." Countries that are planning military action typically need time to ready not just their armed forces but their industrial base, economy and population. Mr Johnson said one early indicator of future belligerence is when a nation starts to significantly expand the size of its navy - something that can take up to 20 years. There would also be the construction of additional infrastructure to facilitate troop movements or defensive positions. "You might see railway lines being layered," Mr Johnson said in an interview at his office at Pembroke College. "Tunnels, bunkers, maybe depots being created. It takes time." Then - closer to an attack - there would be increased military activity, such as training exercises, missile tests, and extra recruitment of personnel. Diplomatic language would become more aggressive on the world stage, including withdrawing from treaties, recalling ambassadors or severing diplomatic ties. A government would also need to take extraordinary steps domestically, perhaps by restricting movement, rationing food and fuel, and using TV, radio, and online platforms to promote patriotism and demonise outsiders. In the final months, weeks or days, you would see the mobilisation of troops towards their intended target as happened when Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in 2022. 👉Search for The Wargame on your podcast app👈 "We saw mobile crematoria being deployed to the border," Mr Johnson said. "We saw, in the last 24 hours, blood banks being delivered to forward medical units. And, because blood is hard to preserve, it's the last indication. You know you've got 24 hours left. They're coming." As well as plotting the warning signs of war, the academic also mapped out the actions that other nations might be expected to take in response. "What we end up with is a sort of line of responsiveness," he said. It starts with monitoring what is happening, then if suspicions grow, it moves to diplomacy and greater intelligence gathering to gain a better understanding of a country's intent. If the indicators of war continue to flash, rival governments need to put themselves on a war footing too - either to deter any aggression or to be ready to defend themselves in a fight. In the 1930s, as German defence spending rocketed, the UK took similar action, rapidly expanding its industrial base to be able to produce more weapons, with car factories converted into Spitfire production lines and "shadow factories" built next to existing sites. Mr Johnson said the contrast with today could not be starker. Even though war is already raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, he said Sir Keir Starmer has failed to respond with a significant, rapid increase in defence spending coupled with the ramping up of what is left of the UK's defence industrial capacity. "The lack of preparation I find astonishing. Actually, no, I use the word breathtaking," the academic said. "I would expect to see a rapid expansion of the Royal Navy, a rapid improvement in munitions production in the UK, co-production with Europe... Crucially, I also would like to see the public being informed properly about what the threat is." Asked what his warnings and indicators timeline said about the potential threat posed by China, Mr Johnson said: "China is well along that line. "You've got so-called wolf warrior diplomacy... We've seen the rehearsing, large-scale naval exercises… They have been building, rearming rapidly, massive defence spending…And perhaps most worrying of all, they've made a declaration they're going to have a thousand nuclear warheads by 2030." As for Russia, even though its forces are fighting in Ukraine, they are also rearming at home. It means, Mr Johnson said, that the warnings and indicators of a plan for a potential Russian attack against a NATO nation are also evident. Read more:UK working on major plan to prepare country for warUK and NATO allies need to prepare to defend Europe without US "We're at that moment now, a bit like the winter of 1939, where our key threat actor, Russia, is now ready to attack. They're getting ready. They're at full production of munitions. And we are still hesitating, hoping that perhaps this won't happen." Sky News is the official media partner of the London Defence Conference 2026. Later this year Sky News will launch a new defence & security app, bringing together video-first reporting from our leading journalists and experts.

Cast your mind back to the early noughties: Eminem is one of the biggest artists in the world, reality stunt show Jackass dominates MTV - and two young skate-punk rappers from America are potentially on the verge of becoming hip-hop's next big thing. Silibil'n'Brains, aka Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain, had the tunes, the talent and the chutzpah. There was just one problem - they were not actually from Los Angeles, California, as they had told label bosses in the UK, but rather from Dundee, Scotland. After attempts to make it authentic were dismissed by industry bigwigs in London who made fun of their accents, they reinvented themselves as up-and-coming hip-hop stars from the West Coast - associates of the Eminem-fronted Detroit hip-hop group D12, no less. Boyd and Bain wanted to stick it to the man. But what started out as a joke turned into an audacious deception so convincing, they ended up with a record deal, TV appearances, and a support slot with... D12. Their story is now being told on the big screen in California Schemin', the directorial debut of X-Men, Filth and Atonement star James McAvoy. "I always thought it would be a cool story to tell the grandkids when I'm older," says Boyd. "Like, you're never gonna believe what I did when I was young. But that's as far as I thought it went." 'We were out of our depth' As Silibil'n'Brains, the pair really had to commit, re-recording the songs they already had with American accents, and remaining in character throughout their time in London. But as the lies snowballed and the money kept rolling in, the pressure mounted and eventually it became too much. Now, the pair are being played by Samuel Bottomley (Boyd) and Seamus McLean Ross (Bain) in California Schemin', with McAvoy starring as the record label executive who signs them. The film is based on Bain's memoir, written a few years after they left their American alter-egos behind. "When the book came out, people were reaching out to me and telling me their own stories," he says. People who had been bullied, "been the underdog... something was hitting home". Both men, speaking to Sky News on separate Zoom calls, say looking back, and seeing their lives played out on screen, has been surreal. "We were these young, wild skateboarders, musicians, just living a rock and roll lifestyle that we were so not used to," says Boyd. "We were completely out of our depth." Bain says they were running scared a lot of the time. "I think you see that in the way Sam and Seamus act it," he says. "But it's about not letting your fear hold you back - it's using it as a kind of booster cannon… "In some parts in the film, I just go, whoa... my adult brain is like, don't do that. But back then, we didn't really know the depth of it. But you look back and think, actually all of this was kind of perfect because if they didn't make fun of us the way they did, it probably wouldn't have lit a fire under us." After making the long journey from Dundee to London for an audition, the pair were mocked. "It was traumatic and embarrassing," recalls Bain. "It was a lot of tears on the way home that day. But once that was out the way it was like, they did light a fire." Supporting D12 Boyd says the American accents started as a prank. "It was almost to entertain ourselves a little bit because we were getting so many rejections, just for having Scottish accents." When they got their first show as US rappers, the idea was to walk off stage and reveal their true identity, he says. "But we got approached… I think fuelled with adrenaline from the show, it was like, 'we're from California'. It was kind of like, we're at a crossroads now." Tell the truth or continue the lie. "We went with the latter - and here we are, all these years later, with this crazy story." One memorable scene in the film comes when the pair arrive at their gig supporting Eminem's group D12, after previously saying they knew the rappers. "It was the ultimate high to the ultimate low," says Boyd, of being offered the shows. "Like, 'Oh my God, we're going to support D12!' And then, 'Oh my God… it's going to be so awkward'. It was bizarre but we got lucky, we got away with it." In the film, we see Bain pushing harder to keep up the pretence as Boyd's enthusiasm wanes. Bain says when he wrote his own book he had the "therapy of writing and seeing what I did wrong" at the time. "I can actually see in Seamus's performance... I felt angry a lot of the time, angry with the situation. I think a lot of it captures a kind of truth that's almost hard to write." There is good and bad in both characters in the film, he says, and it's not about blame. "It's more a case of showing that you can be best friends, but when you're in a situation where you're living as other people, you're gonna get the lines blurred... It was the pressure that drove us against each other." 'We weren't fake rappers' Something they both say they hated, after their deceit was exposed, was being dubbed "fake rappers". "That was the biggest issue I had with it all over the years," says Boyd. "We weren't fake rappers. We love hip-hop, we love the culture, and perfecting the craft, we put in hours and hours and hours of dedication. "We got to the point where we got signed, we got in the door by being these fake Americans, but we got signed because I guess we had the talent." Read more from Sky News:Female drug dealer who supplied fatal dose to Matthew Perry jailed The California lie was no desperate attempt to get famous, he adds. "It was us trying to open doors and prove a point that it shouldn't matter where you're from." He sees their tale as an underdog story. "It shouldn't matter what you look like, what you sound like. If you have the talent, you should be given the opportunities other people have." Comparisons were made to Milli Vanilli, the 1980s pop duo who didn't sing on their records, says Bain. "But nothing was fake about our talent." Silibil'n'Brains landed right at the beginning of the digital era. For anyone wanting to try the same trick now, social media would no doubt expose the cracks in the lie. But it might also have led to more authentic opportunities in the first place. A few years after their hip-hop hoax, MySpace launched artists including Lily Allen and Arctic Monkeys and paved the way for the removal of industry gatekeepers. Traditional geographical constraints have since been dismantled by streaming and the grip on the charts held by English language music has loosened dramatically, as proven by the rise of artists from BTS and Bad Bunny to Rosalia and Kneecap. Bain isn't convinced things have changed that much. "Us and [Irish-language rappers] Kneecap have had to have a movie break us to the world," he says. "Where are all the others? Why isn't there a Scots kid really being propelled to the world as a rapper? Because there's a lot of Scottish rappers." He says he hopes the film will shine more of a spotlight on the talent in Scotland. "Hip-hop and Scottish to labels, it didn't go together. And I still think there's that prejudice, you know, until someone comes through and has a big record and then it kind of breaks the thinking around it." But Boyd is more hopeful that things can be different now. "You don't have to be from a certain place anymore, you don't have to fit into this mould that you had to back then." California Schemin is out in cinemas now

Speaking during a trip to the Middle East, the prime minister made the case for achieving energy independence, and argued that renewables are the quickest way to achieve that. "I'm fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses' bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world and saying to families across the country, saying to businesses across the country: 'we've just got to be, we've got to put up with being on the international market'," Sir Keir told ITV's Talking Politics podcast. "We need energy independence, and the only way to get energy independence is to go even more quickly to renewables because we're not going to get it on the international market." Tap here for the latest politics news The criticism of the US and Russian presidents came shortly before a phone call with Mr Trump, and Sir Keir was asked by broadcasters if he made that point directly to the US president. The prime minister replied that he "set out to him the views of the region here" and that any ceasefire has to involve Gulf countries if it is to hold. He continued: "They have very strong views on the Strait of Hormuz. We spent most of the time on the call talking about the practical plan that's going to be needed to get navigation through the strait and the role that the UK is playing." The prime minister pointed specifically to the UK's work convening over 40 countries to discuss how to reopen the crucial shipping route and ensure it remains open in the long term. However, he did not say if he told the US president that he is "fed up" of his actions affecting energy prices in Britain. 'We will respond with strength' Sir Keir's comments come as he concludes a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar to discuss the war in Iran, British assistance in defending those countries from missile and drone attacks, and how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He insisted the visit is "a big opportunity" for the UK to demonstrate leadership, and there is "a real desire" in the region to "work more closely with us on defence resilience, on economic resilience". "There's a sense here, as there is of the United Kingdom, that this conflict is going to define us for a generation, and we must respond and we will respond with strength," the prime minister added. UK will 'continue to make the case' for NATO He also responded to a social media post by Mr Trump yesterday, in which he wrote: "NATO WASN'T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON'T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN." Sir Keir said the alliance "is in America's interests" and "in European interests". "NATO is a defensive alliance which for decades has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been. So we're strong supporters of NATO will always be strong supporters of NATO," he continued. "Do I think there should be a stronger European element to NATO? Yes. And I think we should step into that space. We're already doing it, which is why we're coordinating strategically with our partners in NATO." He added that NATO is "the single most-effective military alliance the world has ever known" and said he has been making the case for Europeans to do more "for the best part of two years". "We continue to make that case, and we will make that case," he concluded.

A year on from completing the career Grand Slam with play-off victory over Justin Rose, McIlroy continued his push for more major success with a brilliant round-of-the-day 65 on Friday afternoon. McIlroy broke the lowest 36-hole score by a defending champion as he moved to 12 under, the biggest halfway lead in the tournament's history, with the 36-year-old now firm favourite to join Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as a back-to-back winner of The Masters. The Masters LIVE! Second round as it happenedThe Masters: Latest leaderboard from AugustaHow to watch The Masters: Key coverage timesGet Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract The defending champion birdied six of his last seven holes to charge clear of Sam Burns and former Masters winner Patrick Reed, while Rose and Shane Lowry posted second-round 69s to share fourth place with fellow Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood. "This course, it enables you to get on runs," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "I certainly didn't imagine birdieing six of the last seven, but I've always felt like when you're feeling it around here, you can get momentum, and the crowd gets on your side and you can just keep it rolling. This afternoon was one of those afternoons." Tyrrell Hatton charged into tied-seventh with a six-under 66, while Bryson DeChambeau - who played the final group last year and was among the pre-tournament favourites - missed the cut after triple-bogeying the final hole of his two-over 74. How McIlroy made more history at The Masters McIlroy held a share of the overnight lead after equalling the second-lowest round by a defending champion at The Masters, with the world No 2 quickly taking control of the tournament after firing three consecutive birdies from the second. The defending champion gave the chasing pack hope when he missed from six feet to save par at the fifth, failed to take advantage of the eighth - the only par-five he has failed to birdie this week - and then started his second nine with bogey. McIlroy briefly found himself level with Reed, who followed a first-nine 34 with a birdie at the par-three 12th, only for the Northern Irishman to reclaim the solo advantage and spark another birdie charge with a seven-foot birdie on the same iconic hole. He took advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th - just as he did on the opening day, with McIlroy firing a stunning tee shot to kick-in range at the par-three 16th to move four clear of the pack. Reed bogeyed the last to fall back to six under with Burns, who finished his one-under 71 with three birdies in his last five holes, with Fleetwood also on that score until closing his three-under 68 with a bogey. McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at the 17th to finish just short of the green, where a sensational 30-yard chip-in pulled him further ahead, before a closing eight-foot birdie signed off a memorable Friday in style. The lead matches the same halfway advantage McIlroy held at the 2011 US Open, which he went on to win and claim a maiden major, with every player this century who held a 36-hole buffer of six or more shots all going on to win. "I so desperately wanted to win here just so I could come back each and every year, and thankfully I was able to do that last year," McIlroy added. "So, doing that, when I miss fairways, it's fine. When I miss greens, it's fine. I feel like I'm sort of playing with the house's money, which is a nice feeling to have. "If I can just keep thinking well and making good decisions with whatever is put in front of me, and really just keep putting one foot in front of the other - hopefully do that for the weekend and everything works out." Just 19 of the 54 players who made it through to the weekend are under-par at the halfway stage, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on level-par - and 12 off the pace - after a two-over 74. Can McIlroy defend his title at The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, with extra coverage on Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

The crash happened at 1.15pm local time on Friday when the bus plunged into a ravine on the GM-2 highway in La Gomera. All of the passengers, 24 adults and three children, were British. The person killed in the bus crash was a British man, the Foreign Office has said. He was aged 77, it is understood. Iran war latest: Follow live Four people are seriously injured, emergency services in the Canary Islands said in an update. "Emergency health services attended to the 28 occupants of the bus, 27 tourists of British nationality and the driver," local officials said. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said in a post on X: "My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident involving a bus carrying British holidaymakers in the Canary Islands." She said the government was in touch with the local authorities and ready to support the Britons and their families. Read more from Sky News:Russia and Ukraine to hold 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox EasterDolce & Gabbana co-founder Stefano Gabbana quits as chairman Two of the most seriously injured, a 73-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, were airlifted to hospitals on the larger neighbouring Canary Island of Tenerife. Two people with serious injuries were being treated at Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Hospital in San Sebastian de La Gomera on the island where the crash took place. Another 23 with minor injuries were also taken there. Images shared by the Canary Islands government on social media appear to show the bus had come off the road at a hairpin bend. The GM-2 road where the incident took place is high up, with spectacular views out to sea. La Gomera, the second smallest of the eight Canary Islands, is marked by the steep terrain of volcanic mountains, dense forest and cliffside villages. A statement from the British embassy in the Spanish capital, Madrid said: "Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic incident. "We are aware of the situation, and we stand ready to support British nationals. "We are also in touch with local authorities on the ground." A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who died in the bus accident in the Canary Islands and are in contact with the local authorities."

Disability campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette's, was heard shouting as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award during the ceremony on 22 February. The incident was broadcast on the BBC with a two-hour time delay. The BAFTA board said an independent review into the incident identified "a number of structural weaknesses in Bafta's planning, escalation procedures and crisis co-ordination arrangements" for the awards. But it "did not find evidence of malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event". In a statement it said: "We apologise unreservedly to the black community, for whom the racist language used carries real pain, brutality, and trauma, to the disability community, including people with Tourette Syndrome, for whom this incident has led to unfair judgment, stigma, and distress; and to all our members, guests at the ceremony and those watching at home. "What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed. We have written to those directly impacted on the night to apologise. "The review is clear that while this was not a failure of intent, Bafta's planning and processes have not kept pace with its diversity and inclusion goals. "We did not adequately anticipate or fully prepare for the impact of such an incident in a live event environment and as a result our duty of care to everyone at the ceremony and watching at home fell short." The academy said work was underway to address the areas of improvement specified in the review, which was carried out by Rise Associates, to "reduce the risk of this happening again". Read more:The film fighting back against abuse and 'cheap laughs' at Tourette's expense It comes after an investigation found the BBC breached its own editorial standards when it broadcast the slur. An investigation by the BBC's executive complaints unit (ECU) found the inclusion of the slur was "highly offensive" and "had no editorial justification". However, it said broadcasting the slur was unintentional. It said the slur had been edited out of the version of coverage available on iPlayer when the event finished, but a delay of several hours was caused by "a lack of clarity among the team as to whether the N-word was audible on the recording". The delay was "a serious mistake," the ECU added, "because there could be no certainty that the word would be inaudible to all viewers". The report confirmed the BBC's chief content officer has sent letters of apology to Lindo, Jordan and Mr Davidson.

The Department for Education this week intervened on the student loan crisis with a 6% cap on interest. But it's a measure unlikely to silence the growing dissatisfaction with a system that's been described as "a dog's dinner". And now the conflict in Iran makes reform look much harder, with ministers prioritising even more financial support to ease the cost of living, should it be needed. What has the government announced and will it make any difference? From September, interest on plan 2 and plan 3 loans will be capped at 6% to mitigate the likely inflationary impact of the war in Iran. Plan 2 loans were given to students who went to university between 2012 and 2023. Plan 3 loans cover postgraduate loans and doctorates for borrowers in England and Wales. Currently, graduates pay back 9% of their income when they earn above a salary threshold. Interest is also added to the debt. For students in university, it's RPI+3%. For graduates, it's RPI+ up to 3%, depending on income. The RPI rate currently used is 3.2%, so the highest-earning graduates will be charged interest at 6.2%. A 6% cap will therefore save a limited amount, but it will prevent any larger-than-usual debt increases. What it will not do is make any fundamental difference to a system that has and continues to see the debt of many young people increase, despite them repaying a chunk from their wages every month. 'This is a group of people we really need to look after' Unfortunately for ministers, the noise is only going to get louder as MPs prepare to investigate the system for themselves. Meg Hillier is the chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee, and she told me that more than 40,000 people have already contacted them with their experiences of having a student loan, with more expected ahead of the closure of the call for evidence on Tuesday at 5pm. The senior Labour MP acknowledged that global volatility may now "restrict some of the government's choices" but stressed, "this is a group of people we really need to look after". She said: "We're talking about people in their 20s and 30s, who should be the engine room of Britain, who are focusing on getting their career established, possibly getting a family, looking at their housing situation, and it just feels an extra weight upon people at a time in their life when they should be motoring forward." "And remember the deal was always: you pay off your student loan because you're getting a benefit from being a graduate. We're seeing that that's not always the case now." The row over the fairness of the loan system was reignited when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in last year's budget that the salary threshold will be frozen for three years from 2027, at its new level of £29,385. It's seen as a tax rise in all but name, a Treasury tactic designed to drag more people into repaying their loans because of higher inflation pushing up wages. The Good Growth Foundation, a left-leaning thinktank, argues the threshold should be more like £33,000. This cross-party inquiry is just one of the several directions from which the calls for change are coming. Several Labour MPs, some repaying loans themselves, are willing to keep applying the pressure. Danny Beales described this week's announcement as a "welcome step" but stressed a "meaningful, complete overhaul" is needed beyond it. On the list of proposed changes are a cut to the 9% repayment rate, extending the loan term and reversing next year's threshold freeze. It all leaves the government with a student loan dilemma. While the interest cap is a sign of willingness to help, it's been widely received as the first step of many, and not enough on its own. And given the government is consistently in crisis management mode, it begs the question of whether wholesale reform is even affordable. But it's an issue ministers know they must address - and have said they will - not least to avoid the possible political cost of inaction.

By winning seven of his 10 games since January and lifting United up to third in the Premier League, Carrick has made a return to the Champions League more likely than not. It would now come as a surprise if a top-five finish did not seal the deal. It is hard to nail down the characteristics required to be a success at United. They have gone down nearly every route. Jose Mourinho was the serial winner. Louis van Gaal was the experienced hand. Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim were the project managers. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Man Utd news & transfers🔴Man Utd fixtures & scores | FREE Man Utd PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Man Utd games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Carrick falls into the 'United DNA' camp. In other words, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer camp, which brings its own baggage. Solskjaer's deficiencies were obvious, but he navigated the scrutiny at Old Trafford better than most. This is a trait Carrick appears to share. "There are parts of [what comes with being Manchester United manager] – and I am not being blasé when I say it – that I have known for so long," Carrick tells Sky Sports' Roman Kemp at United's training camp in Dublin. "The pressure is something I have lived with for a long time. "What's expected here, how to go about achieving things, the amount of support we have, and the scrutiny is something that becomes normal after a while. "It does not feel as big as it probably looks from the outside for me personally." As understated as a coach as he was a player, this is likely the closest Carrick will get to making a public pitch for the job. And it is a compelling one. There are many coaches with a better resume, but how many can claim to know how to manage that level of pressure? There are parallels with United's player recruitment problems. It does not matter your quality if the scrutiny is too much. There is no shortage of examples there. Harry Maguire, who has been through the mill at Old Trafford, is better placed than most to explain. "I see a lot of players come into this club and quite frankly it's just too big for them," the 33-year-old defender told journalists in Dublin. "The eyes on you, the scrutiny, the analysis. Every goal that goes in, it's someone's fault. There's going to be ex-players speaking about it. That's just part and parcel of playing for this club." This would only intensify for the person in the dugout. United are not rushing the decision over their next head coach and a final call is not expected to be made until the end of the season. Carrick is the only candidate that they have spoken to so far which can only be received as positive for his chances. 'It's no secret what we need next season' The head coach position remains up in the air, but decisions are being made about United's future and Carrick has been a part of that. Maguire has signed a new one-year contract. Casemiro has announced he will depart come the end of the season. Carrick says discussions are taking place about how United replace the Brazil international. "It is no secret what we need going into next season," he says, alluding to United's plans to sign at least one top midfielder this summer. It will be tough for United to plug the gap Casemiro vacates. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance in his final season at Old Trafford, scoring seven goals, and Carrick says the clarity over his future has helped Casemiro "make the most of what's left". Asked if he would like some clarity on his own future, Carrick says: "I understand the situation, and where we were at when we came back in January, the plan for the rest of the season and the possibilities in the summer. I don't think that's changed. "Things will get sorted when they get sorted. For me it's just about doing the best job that we can and plan for the future and the good of the club and the players in the squad. I am not coming to get through to the end of the season and deal with what's next. "I think it's important we make a plan and follow that through for the squad to get stronger. If I am part of it then I am part of it. If not, then that is the situation I walked into." 'Winning titles is where we want to be' If Carrick does get the job, the pressure would ramp up even more. United have set an ambitious goal of winning the Premier League by 2028, which gives them two summer transfer windows to build a squad capable of lifting the title. United have not done it since 2013 in Sir Alex's final season. The closest they have come was under Solskjaer, finishing second to Manchester City in 2020/21 by 14 points. The jury remains out on Carrick's credentials to take United back to those heights, but his appointment would raise the possibility of an Englishman winning the Premier League for the first time. "I'd love that to be the case," says Carrick. "At some point you'd like to think it would happen. For whatever reason it hasn't. Timing is important. "We had a manager here for quite a period of time who was definitely not English but hugely successful. If it got to the stage and that was me, that would be amazing. "That's got to be the goal at some point for this football club, to be back to winning league titles. It is where we want to be." Carrick has steadied the ship and knows the pressure being at United brings. But will that be enough for him to achieve what is required to truly be considered a success at Old Trafford if he gets the job long-term? Watch Man Utd vs Leeds on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm; kick-off 8pm.