Michael Carrick has led Manchester United to a return to the Champions League with 10 wins from 14 games and is now likely to be named as the next permanent manager.
Michael Carrick takes pole position (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Whether Michael Carrick takes the Manchester United job is now a matter of when, not if. Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney says there is no one left to replace his former teammate and good friend in a permanent role.
Carrick, 44, took over on an interim basis in January with the aim of qualifying for the Champions League. The former United midfielder did that in spades, winning 10 of his 14 games as manager.
Sunday’s thrilling 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Liverpool secured United a place in Europe’s elite competition, a place they have not played since the group stages of the 2023-24 season. If Carrick wasn’t already in pole position, he is now.
Speaking about Carrick’s chances on the Wayne Rooney Show, the United icon said: “Yeah, it’s not if I think about it, it’s then. Just because he’s a young British lad and that’s not always right in the eyes of a lot of people.”
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“But Michael Carrick is a smart guy and a really good coach. I think he can take this team to the next team, you know, if he does it right, however long he wants to do it.”
It is understood that formal negotiations between Carrick and United executives have not yet taken place. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is reportedly his closest rival, but it would be a controversial decision to dump the former Middlesbrough manager who has remained tight-lipped about his future throughout his reign.
“It’s not about what I like or what I don’t like. It’s not within my control,” Carrick explained. “We know the situation and where we are because everything is going very well.
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Wayne Rooney backs Michael Carrick’s appointment (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
“We’re happy with where we are at the moment and we want to get better. Let’s see what happens next. We’re not thinking about it at the moment.”
United have three games left in their bid for third place in the Premier League. On Saturday they travel to Sunderland to face Nottingham Forest and Brighton to end the campaign.
“That’s encouraging,” Carrick added. “With 14 games of Little League, we have to be on top. As such, the players have worked really hard. Of course, we want to continue to grow. You can’t underestimate what the players have done during this period. That’s what I’m most happy about.”
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