| Full name: | Michael Carrick |
| Age: | 44 |
| Date of birth: | July 28, 1981 |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 |
| Place of birth: | Wallsend, Tyne and Wear |
| Nationality: | English |
Manchester United appointed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the 2025/26 season, in January 2026.
Carrick was hired after Darren Fletcher stepped in for two games as caretaker boss, following Ruben Amorim’s sacking at the start of January.
Amorim was fired with United sixth in the Premier League. United slipped to seventh before Carrick was appointed.
By time Carrick took over, United were eliminated from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, with no European football. His sole focus is the Premier League.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick’s past coaching career
Michael Carrick began his coaching career as an assistant at Manchester United, working under Jose Mourinho, learning on the job. He stepped straight into coaching after he retired from playing in 2018.
With Mourinho fired in December 2018, Carrick continued as an assistant working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, alongside Kieran McKenna. He was part of a staff that helped Manchester United finish in second place in 2020/21, and third in 2019/20. United also reached the 2021 Europa League Final.
When Solskjaer was sacked in November 2021, Carrick stepped in as caretaker manager for three matches.
He won 2-0 away at Villarreal, drew 1-1 away at Chelsea, and won 3-2 against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Carrick then declined to stay on Ralf Rangnick’s coaching staff, taking a short break from the game before going into management in his own right.
He took over as Middlesbrough manager in October 2022, with the team placed a lowly 21st in the Championship.
Carrick led ‘Boro to an impressive fourth place, turning their form around and qualifying for the playoffs, but they were unable to win promotion.
After leading the club to the Carabao Cup semi-finals in 2023/24, they finished in eighth place, missing out on the playoffs.
Carrick was sacked at the end of 2024/25 after a disappointing 10th place finish. However, it is worth noting that key players including Morgan Rogers and Chuba Akpom had been sold, and it was a struggle to find adequate replacements.
Michael Carrick’s coaching career timeline:
- Manchester United interim manager (January 2026 – present)
- Middlesbrough manager (October 2022 – June 2025)
- Manchester United caretaker manager (November 2021 – December 2021)
- Manchester United assistant manager (July 2018 – November 2021)
Michael Carrick’s playing career
Before turning to a career in coaching in 2018, Michael Carrick had an illustrious playing career.
After coming through the West Ham academy and later signing with Tottenham, Manchester United bought him in July 2006.
Carrick played a key role in rejuvenating Manchester United, giving the team a midfield leader to replace Roy Keane. He won the Premier League in his very first season for the club.
His understated playing style meant he did not get the praise and credit he truly deserved, often wrongly overlooked for a starting role for England.
Carrick’s career numbers for United speak for themselves, he played 464 games for the Red Devils, scoring 24 goals.
During this time Carrick won the Champions League in 2008, plus five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups, and one Europa League.
How would you describe Michael Carrick’s playing career in three words?
What are your favourite memories of Carrick as a Man Utd player?
