Michael Carrick told former teammate Wayne Rooney why Steve Holland “felt natural” to be his Manchester United No 2 in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
The 44-year-old Manchester United legend had never worked with Steve Holland before the ex-England assistant manager was brought to Old Trafford in January.
Holland was a key appointment to Michael Carrick’s Red Devils coaching staff, with the 56-year-old becoming interim assistant head coach at the Premier League club.
Carrick’s appointment as the permanent Man Utd manager was confirmed on Friday and the Red Devils legend will retain Holland for his coaching staff as well.
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Michael Carrick shares with Wayne Rooney why Steve Holland has been so impactful for Man Utd
Steve Holland made a real name for himself under former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate during their time working with the Three Lions national team.
Michael Carrick linked up with Wayne Rooney for an interview on Manchester United’s Inside Carrington podcast after he succeeded Ruben Amorim at the club.
The United head coach caught Rooney by surprise when he told him that Holland was a “massive” Red Devils supporter and had a long-standing history with the club.
“I think there was a natural buzz [with] Steve being a massive United fan,” he said.
“So, when he was a kid, like a massive United fan going to cup finals and, yeah, he talks about a lot of the history and kind of the past of going to cup as a fan.
“So, it felt natural for him to be here. He’s obviously loved to be here.”
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Michael Carrick on reuniting with Jonathan Woodgate at Man Utd and the influence of his coaching staff
Outside of Holland, Carrick linked up with Jonathan Woodgate once again after the former Middlesbrough assistant coach was brought into his coaching staff.
Carrick hailed the importance of figures like Jonathan Woodgate and the impact that the “unbelievable” coaching staff has had on the United first-team squad at Old Trafford.
“Woody, [we] have been close to at Middlesbrough and it’s hard to tell anyone until you get here, isn’t it?” Carrick told Rooney.
The newly appointed Man Utd manager added: “So, I think there’s a bit of freshness in the staff, the unbelievable coaching staff, to come together.
“But we haven’t actually, we didn’t know each other as a group before then. So, to come, you know, it’s like in an office [where] you need to really click to be in that kind of tight environment.
“They’ve been unbelievable, the coaches, and then the players have responded. So, everyone’s kind of feeling more at home as the days go by.”
Carrick’s first match as the permanent United head coach will be against Brighton at the Amex on the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
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