Darren Fletcher said he had reached out to former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to seek his blessing before taking on the interim role at the club following Ruben Amorim's sacking on Monday.
Fletcher, 41, will take charge of Wednesday's Premier League trip to Burnley and may also stay on for Sunday's FA Cup third-round fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.
"I don't like to make any major decisions without speaking to Sir Alex," Fletcher told reporters.
"I've got a really good relationship with Sir Alex, 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 and he echoed my thoughts."
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Former midfielder Fletcher made 342 appearances in all competitions with the club, the majority of them under Ferguson. He was also recently coach of the under-18 squad.
"When you're an employee of the club, it's your job to do your best for Manchester United," he said.
"It is something I try and live and believe every day, so it was comforting for me for him to say that."
Fletcher is the 11th United manager - either interim or permanent - since Ferguson, the club's most successful with 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies, retired in 2013.
United are currently sixth in the table with 31 points from 20 games.