“Carrick is like a piano,” Gary Neville once remarked. “When you play alongside him, there’s a sense of authority, control, and tranquility. Sometimes, it’s better not to have everyone buzzing around chaotically. The partnership of Scholes and Carrick was serene; it felt like entering a bar and hearing a piano play softly. It’s so calming!”
Scholes also spoke highly of Carrick, recalling: “I remember when Michael arrived and took over the no. 16 shirt from Roy Keane, one of the Premier League’s all-time great midfielders. He had a significant legacy to uphold, but I believe he more than proved himself worthy of that number. I truly enjoyed playing alongside him.”
Carrick concluded his playing career at the end of the 2017/18 season, having made 464 appearances for the Reds and netting 24 goals.
He transitioned into coaching at United, leaving in 2021 to become the manager of Middlesbrough, before returning to the Reds in January 2026.
In coaching, he has demonstrated the same composed demeanor that characterized his decade-long tenure in United’s midfield.
This profile originally appeared in United Heroes, a children’s book chronicling the stories of 30 club legends. Explore more about the Reds’ history in United Chronicles.
