Wednesday afternoon and Michael Carrick greeted his friend and former teammate Wayne Rooney at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.
“From the moment that I arrived here 20 years ago, I felt the magic of Manchester United,” said Carrick on Friday.
In January, while still reeling from the departure of Amorim, a coach he’d supported, Jason Wilcox, Manchester United director of football, told the United squad that Champions League football was achievable.
Players started to go public in their view that he should be the permanent United manager, big names such as Casemiro.
“When you talk about Manchester [United] – and I love to talk about Manchester – you always have to think about titles, always thinking about winning, winning trophies.
Wednesday afternoon and Michael Carrick greeted his friend and former teammate Wayne Rooney at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.
The pair hugged and laughed, with Rooney, the club’s record goalscorer tickled that he’s now considered a journalist. That’s what he had to put down as his reason for visiting the United States for the forthcoming World Cup finals where he’ll work as a media pundit.
When the pair then spoke on record in an interview for the club’s media, they smiled at what life has thrown up for them.
Rooney was surprised at the reality that Carrick is now United’s permanent manager, the sixth since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 (and there were four more as caretakers/interims), yet Rooney has long advocated for Carrick when other legendary former United players have not.
And Rooney, as much as anyone, knows how difficult management can be after spells at Derby County, DC United in Washington, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.
The news was announced 44 hours after the pair met, with Carrick on a two-year permanent deal until 2028, the year United plan to win the Premier League by – as was announced after a change of decision makers in 2024.
It’ll be tough, but he expects little else. It was challenging for him as a player and he tells people that it wouldn’t be
Carrick arrived in early January, replacing Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, with United seventh in the table and, over 16 games, lifted the club he played for 464 times between 2006-2018 after previous spells at West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur, to third. That meant Uefa Uefa Champions League qualification for the first time since 2023.
Carrick, 44, went from being considered as interim to being the favourite for a permanent position. Two things led to that – a shortage of ideal targets who were gettable this summer. And Carrick’s win rate, equivalent to an 87-point season over 38 games, including against top sides home and away.
The Geordie set the tempo with victories against Manchester City and Arsenal in his first week. Chelsea and Aston Villa were also defeated. The dropped points came against teams lower down: West Ham, Leeds and Newcastle United.
“From the moment that I arrived here 20 years ago, I felt the magic of Manchester United,” said Carrick on Friday. “Carrying the responsibility of leading our special football club fills me with immense pride.
“Throughout the past five months this group of players have shown they can reach the standards of resilience, togetherness and determination that we demand here.
“Now it’s time to move forward together, with ambition and a clear sense of purpose. Manchester United and our incredible supporters deserve to be challenging for the biggest honours again.”
He’ll stay with his existing backroom staff of Steve Holland, Jonny Evans, Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion and goalkeeping coach Craig Mawson. A further arrival is likely to be added to the coaching crew.
They’ve helped improve the culture and positivity at Carrington. Players feel valued and cared for, though it’s also true that a player not being selected will be unhappy at most football clubs. United have to – and do – manage that.
In January, while still reeling from the departure of Amorim, a coach he’d supported, Jason Wilcox, Manchester United director of football, told the United squad that Champions League football was achievable. That was likely to be a top five finish for a club who’d not spent much time in the top five. Carrick didn’t give too much thought to that, but on reflection considered it ambitious. United finished third, with games to spare.
Wilcox still led a process to see who United’s next manager should be. He wouldn’t have been doing his job had he not done so. Agents offered their clients, United assessed the market through a vast network of contacts. The CEO Omar Berrada, who speaks five languages, has an extensive contacts list after decades working at Barcelona and Manchester City.
Yet they worked in the same open-plan building where Carrick’s calm approach, attitude and demeanour were impressing. Players started to go public in their view that he should be the permanent United manager, big names such as Casemiro.
Carrick benefitted from only having one game once week since United had a rare season without European football. Exits at the first stage in both domestic cup competitions only compounded that.
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“This season is good,” said the departing Casemiro two weeks ago. “When you talk about Manchester [United] – and I love to talk about Manchester – you always have to think about titles, always thinking about winning, winning trophies. And that hasn’t happened this season but I think it's been a good season.
“I don't think many people thought we were in this situation at the beginning of the season. But we're very close. We're in a good moment and we're on the right track.”
Carrick doesn’t get too high or too low, but there’s a fire in his belly that doesn’t always come across when he speaks to the media. He has strong views, he might be more emboldened with them now he’s permanent.
He doesn’t look at social media, doesn’t give his players too much information to digest, doesn’t overcomplicate. Some previous United managers have told their players everything there is to know about opponents, shifting the emphasis on them to find the solutions.
Carrick also impressed by being involved in the youth academy, where his son plays. Too many previous United managers didn’t make 100 metre walk from the first team training area to the academy building. Most, in fact. They sent assistants instead. But Carrick’s attention to and care for the academy has demonstrated his commitment to the long-term future of the club.
Wilcox settled on Carrick and made a recommendation to Berrada who then made it to the board (both sets of owners, including the deeply unpopular Glazers). All agreed.
“Michael had thoroughly earned the opportunity to continue leading our men’s team,” said Wilcox, a local lad and Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers before a successful spell heading up Manchester City’s academy.
“In the time he has been doing the role, we have seen positive results on the pitch, but more than that, an approach which aligns with the club’s values, traditions and history.
“Michael’s achievements in leading the club back to the Champions League should not be understated. He has forged a strong bond with the players and can be proud of the winning culture at Carrington and in the dressing room, which we are continuing to build.”
Carrick has worked quietly in the Carrington bubble. He knew how to deal with pressures as a player, he’ll need all of those skills as a manager, but, like Wilcox, he’s from a stable environment where home life is deeply important to what they do.
United fans have broadly welcomed Carrick’s appointment. Results have seen to that, big wins and a return to the Champions League when a return to any European football would have been considered a pass a year after the team finished in 15th, the worst for 50 years.
Champions League will mean bigger budgets (and wage bill) but an increase in revenue and more global interest after England’s biggest club faded from footballing view, yet remained a huge deal in the media landscape.
Carrick has had little criticism because his team have won so many games, but next season will look vastly different to this with likely 30-40 per cent more games and high expectations in all. Carrick was used to such a such demands as a player in highly successful United teams. Now he’s going to do it as a manager. And he considers all of this a privilege.
