Eric Cantona singled out an all-important quality from Sir Alex Ferguson that has been imprinted on him — and it’s something Michael Carrick is tapping into in his own way at Manchester United.
Michael Carrick seems all but destined to become the seventh permanent Manchester United manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era of the club.
The 44-year-old United legend’s interim head coach reign was not a fluke, despite what his harshest critics might want to say to diminish his success this season.
Carrick’s impact has instead been transformative since Ruben Amorim was sacked as Man Utd manager, and it feels like he’s primed to handle the next step in his reign.
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Eric Cantona puts Sir Alex Ferguson on a pedestal for his influence and the Man Utd icon’s key trait is important for Michael Carrick
Eric Cantona is without a doubt one of the best players to have ever put on the Manchester United shirt and the rippling effect on his legacy is still felt at the club.
A truly larger-than-life figure, the 59-year-old legendary former Man Utd No 7 was an incredible presence at Old Trafford, both on the pitch and off it as well.
However, it has been well-documented that Sir Alex Ferguson treated Cantona differently from other Man Utd players due to his personality and bravado.
Ferguson’s approach to Cantona paid off in the long run, with the eccentric Frenchman recognising the essence of the former manager’s ability to adapt.
“For me, that would stand out more because Ferguson gave me… Alex Ferguson gave me… he has more freedom than the others,” he told the YouTube channel Brut.
“But it’s just that he adapts to any shape, any personality, any strong personality.”
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Michael Carrick has shown his own adaptability with Man Utd players, as Sir Alex Ferguson previously did with Eric Cantona
All eyes are now on how Michael Carrick handles himself in the Old Trafford hot seat as the permanent Man Utd head coach rather than as the interim boss.
The former Middlesbrough head coach is in his honeymoon period at the Red Devils this season, but the pressure will increase tenfold in the 2026-27 campaign.
However, Carrick has already shown that he is thinking beyond an interim run, including managing the different egos that could emerge in the dressing room.
“The ego is a funny one, actually, because I think to perform at the top, top level, you’ve got to have some sort of ego,” he said ahead of Man Utd’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, as per Goal.
“You need [it] and that could be used in all sorts of different ways, so I think how you use it, really, is the key thing.
“And I think the part of me, of learning and being here and seeing others, better players than me, dealing with that and sacrificing themselves for the team.
“I think putting the ego from yourself into the team is important and you’ve got to have some sort of ego to fight for and be attached to.”
Just like Ferguson did with Cantona in the 1990s, Carrick is showing that he has the incredible insight into managing the different egos of Man Utd players under his reign.
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