Michael Carrick returns to Man United to take over as head coach

More than a week after sacking Ruben Amorim, Manchester United appointed Carrick as interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign. It is the second time Carrick has taken charge at Old Trafford, having previously stepped in during 2021 for three matches after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal, before Ralf Rangnick was appointed.

United’s director of football Jason Wilcox said: “Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United. He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success.”

Before moving into coaching, Carrick enjoyed a highly successful playing career. He began at West Ham United in 1999, featured for several clubs, and joined Manchester United in 2006. Over 12 seasons with the Red Devils, he made 464 appearances and won five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Carrick retired in 2018 and immediately joined United’s first-team coaching staff under José Mourinho and later Solskjaer. After his brief interim spell in 2021, he left to take over at Middlesbrough, where he spent two and a half seasons from 2022 and achieved solid results. Now, four years on, Carrick has returned to Old Trafford.

Speaking on the Inside Carrington podcast, Carrick said: “I’ve met pretty much all of them and gone through the plans and what’s gone before, and what’s to come. There’s all sorts going on, but it’s actually been a really calm day.

“It’s been very clear in terms of focus - what we want out of the next few days, what we want it to look like, what we want the end of the season to look like and how we want to move forward as a club. It’s been a really, really good day. I’ve loved it and it’s given me a lot of positivity.”

Carrick’s first match as United head coach will be against Manchester City on 17 January, followed by fixtures against Arsenal (25 January), Fulham (1 February), Tottenham (7 February) and West Ham (11 February).