Carrick began his career atWest Ham United, joining the youth team in 1997 and winning theFA Youth Cup two years later. He was sent on loan twice during his debut season, toSwindon Town andBirmingham City, before securing a place in the first team by the 2000–01 season. He experienced relegation in the 2002–03 season and was voted into thePFA First Division Team of the Year in the following campaign. He made more than 150 appearances forthe Hammers, and in 2004, he moved to rival London clubTottenham Hotspur for a fee believed to be£3.5 million. He played an influential role at the club for two seasons before moving to Manchester United in 2006 for £14 million.
From his debut onwards, Carrick was a regular in the Manchester United first team, making more than 50 appearances in his first season with them. He established himself as a key member of the team that won the Premier League in2006–07, their first title success in four years. The following season he was part of the side that won the2008 Champions League final, playing the full 120 minutes as they enjoyed a 6–5 penalty shootout win, with Carrick converting his spot kick, to help achieve theEuropean Double. As of 2024, he is one of only two English players alongside former teammateWayne Rooney to win thePremier League title,FA Cup,UEFA Champions League,League Cup,FA Community Shield,UEFA Europa League andFIFA Club World Cup.[6][7] In winning the2016 FA Cup, Carrick completed his collection of every domestic honour in the English game.[8]
Carrick has represented England atunder-18,under-21,B andsenior levels. He made his England debut in 2001 and went on to gain 34 caps without scoring a goal. Carrick was often overlooked during his England career, with many of his contemporaries being preferred in his position. This was the case until the 2012–13 season, when Carrick established himself as a regular. He was a member of the England squad for two major tournaments, the2006 and2010 World Cups.
At the age of 12 he was selected for North Tyneside Schools. While playing for Wallsend Boys' Club under-16s, he was capped for the England Boys' club side. At age 13, Carrick was profiled by theBBC children's programmeLive & Kicking episode 49, which aired on 4 February 1995.[12] During his school years, and the years up until his move toWest Ham United, Carrick actually played as acentre-forward; it was only at West Ham that he started to play more often as amidfielder. He studied at Wallsend's Western Middle School andBurnside Community High School, completing hisGCSE exams in 1997.
Carrick was part of theWest Ham United youth squad that won theFA Youth Cup in the 1998–99 season.[13] He scored twice in their two-legged 9–0 record final victory overCoventry City.[14]According to his manager at the time,Harry Redknapp, Carrick's difficulty at the start of his career was mainly physical and he lost almost two seasons to injuries because of his rapid growth.[15] He made his debut for West Ham in a 1–1 away draw withJokerit in theUEFA Intertoto Cup on 24 July 1999.[16] His league debut came five weeks later on 28 August, when he replacedRio Ferdinand in a 3–0 victory overBradford City atValley Parade.[17]
In November 1999, Carrick was sent on a one-month loan toSwindon Town and made his first appearance for them in a 0–0 draw at home withNorwich City.[18] He scored his first professional career goal in a 2–1 defeat at home toCharlton Athletic on 23 November.[19] He scored once more during his loan spell, netting in a 1–1 draw at home toWalsall on 4 December.[20] Although he impressed during his spell he could not help the team find a much-needed win during his 6 outings,[21] playing his final game for them in a 3–0 defeat atManchester City on 18 December.[22] In February 2000, he was sent on loan again, this time toBirmingham City, making just two appearances for the Blues.[17] Carrick returned toUpton Park and scored his first goal for West Ham United, scoring the first in a 5–0 home win overCoventry City on 22 April.[23] During his first season he was voted as West Ham United's Young Player of the Year.[24]
"It is frustrating for me when I see the quality of players who have left the club in the last six or seven months. I knew players were going to leave when we suffered relegation, but it's weird for me now because the whole club seems to be different."
– Carrick on his frustration with many West Ham stars leaving the club following their relegation from thePremier League in 2003[25]
Carrick made his West Ham breakthrough in the2000–01 season,[26] playing 41 games in all competitions, which included 33 games in the league.[27] His only goal of the season came in a 1–1 home draw againstAston Villa on 9 December 2000.[28] Carrick was awarded a new, improved contract for his progress that would keep him at Upton Park until 2005.[29] On 20 April 2001, he was nominated for thePFA Young Player of the Year alongside teammateJoe Cole.[30] The award was eventually won byLiverpool midfielderSteven Gerrard on 29 April.[31] For the second successive season Carrick was voted as West Ham's Young Player of the Year.[32]
The2001–02 season saw Carrick make 32 appearances for the Hammers.[33] Carrick scored twice during this season, his first was West Ham's only goal in a 7–1 loss atBlackburn Rovers on 14 October.[34] He scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory overrivalsChelsea ten days later.[35] Towards the end of the season, Carrick suffered a recurrence of a groin injury that ruled him out of the2002 FIFA World Cup for theEngland squad.[36]
The2002–03 season was one to forget for Carrick, as West Ham were relegated from thePremier League at the end of the campaign,[37] with Carrick playing his last game of the season in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland on 22 March 2003.[38] Rather than leave the club like teammates Joe Cole,Frédéric Kanouté andJermain Defoe, Carrick stayed with West Ham during their first season back in theFirst Division.[39] During the2003–04 season, West Ham finished fourth on the final day to ensure a place in theplay-offs.[40] However, they lost 1–0 in thefinal toCrystal Palace and were denied a return to the top flight.[41] Carrick was included in thePFA Team of the Year for the First Division.[42]
After one season outside the Premier League, Carrick felt compelled to leave the First Division, saying: "the truth is I didn't feel I could play First Division football much longer."[15] He was linked with moves to a number of teams includingPortsmouth,Arsenal,Everton,West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace beforeTottenham Hotspur emerged as front-runners to sign him.[43] On 20 August, a deal was agreed between West Ham and Tottenham for the transfer of Carrick subject to a medical.[44] Four days later, the transfer was official as Carrick joined the club for around £3.5 million after the passing of a medical.[45] He made a goalscoring appearance for theTottenham reserves, but his first team debut for the club was delayed after suffering an injury setback on 13 September.[46] Carrick was assigned the number 23 shirt and made his Tottenham debut on 18 October as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat at Portsmouth.[47]
Despite being fit he was often overlooked by then-managerJacques Santini. It was unclear as to whether Santini really wanted him at all as there was much media speculation that Carrick was bought by Tottenham's Director of FootballFrank Arnesen rather than Santini.[48][49] However, following the departure of Santini and the appointment of new managerMartin Jol he soon emerged as a regular starter in midfield.[50] His first full start for Tottenham was also Jol's first game in charge of the club away toBurnley in theLeague Cup on 9 November. During the game he assisted a goal forRobbie Keane as they went on to win 3–0.[51] On 18 December, he produced a display that was influential in helping Tottenham to a 5–1 win at home overSouthampton.[52][53] Carrick subsequently ended the2004–05 season with 29 league appearances but failed to score as they finished the table in 9th and missed out on aUEFA Cup spot.[54][55]
On 3 December 2005, Carrick scored his first Tottenham goal as he netted the winner in a 3–2 home win overSunderland.[56] He scored his second goal for the club on 8 April 2006 in a 2–1 win at home over Manchester City.[57] On 22 April, Carrick was lauded for his performance, which helped Tottenham to a 1–1 away draw in theNorth London derby againstArsenal.[58][59] On 7 May, Carrick was one of 10 Tottenham players who fell ill at a hotel just before their final game of the season away to West Ham as the players suffered from an outbreak ofnorovirus, which was initially reported and widely misconceived to have been food poisoning.[60] Carrick managed to play in the game but lasted just 63 minutes in the 2–1 defeat to his former club. As a result of the loss rivals Arsenal beat them to fourth place in the league and the spot for theChampions League.[61][62] He made more crosses and more passes than any other Tottenham player during the2005–06 season, and along withMido was joint top in assists.[63]
On 10 June, Tottenham revealed they had rejected a bid fromManchester United for Carrick, who was seen by their managerSir Alex Ferguson as a replacement for the departedRoy Keane, the former clubcaptain.[64] The following day, Tottenham manager Martin Jol insisted Carrick would be staying with the club, stating "I don't want to lose a player like Michael, who was probably our best midfielder last season".[65] On 28 July, Tottenham announced that the clubs agreed a deal for the transfer of Carrick to Manchester United.[66] Three days later, the transfer was official as personal terms were agreed with Carrick.[67] Despite agreeing a deal for the player the previous week – the fee was not made public until Spurs issued a statement to the stock exchange.[68] Manchester United's chief executiveDavid Gill confirmed the transfer fee as £14 million, potentially rising to £18.6 million, which would make Carrick the sixth most expensive player acquired by Manchester United at the time.[69] He was given the number 16 shirt, previously worn by Keane.[70]
Carrick made his debut for the club on 4 August 2006 in a 3–1 pre-season friendly win overPorto in theAmsterdam Tournament.[71] The following day, Carrick was forced to miss the start of the2006–07 season as a result of injuring his foot during the final tournament match againstAjax.[72] Following his recovery from this injury he made his competitive debut on 23 August in a 3–0 away league win over Charlton Athletic.[73] Three days later, he made his first start for the club in a 2–1 win away overWatford.[74] Towards the end of December he missed two games as he suffered a minor injury.[75] He returned in time to feature in United's final game of 2006, a 3–2 home win overReading on 30 December.[76] On 13 January 2007, Carrick scored his first Manchester United goal in a 3–1 win at home overAston Villa.[77] One month later, he scored his first everFA Cup goal in a 1–1 draw at home to Reading on 17 February.[78] He followed this up by contributing one of United's goals in a 4–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers on 31 March.[79] Carrick scored his first-ever Champions League goals on 10 April, scoring twice in a 7–1 home win overRoma in their quarter-final second leg tie.[80] They would go on to lose their semi-final tie 5–3 on aggregate to eventual championsA.C. Milan ending their hopes of an all Englishfinal with Liverpool.[81] He scored his final goal of the season in a 2–0 win at home overSheffield United on 17 April.[82] His first season with Manchester United ended in success, as they won the Premier League title as a result of Chelsea's 1–1 draw with Arsenal on 6 May.[83]
Carrick suffered an injury setback in October 2007 after breaking his elbow in a 1–0 home win over Roma in the Champions League group stage.[84] As a result of the injury he would be out of action for up to six weeks.[85] His return to action came on 3 November as a substitute for Anderson in a 2–2 draw at Arsenal.[86] Carrick scored his first goal of the season on 10 February 2008 in theManchester derby, his goal came in injury time and was mere consolation in a 2–1 home loss to rivals Manchester City.[87] His second and final goal of the season came against his former club West Ham United in a 4–1 win at home on 3 May.[88] Although he scored just two league goals that season it still led to another league title as United beatWigan Athletic on the final day of the season to prevent Chelsea from reaching the top spot.[89] On 18 April, one week on from their title success Carrick was offered a new five-year contract along with defendersRio Ferdinand andWes Brown.[90] A four-year contract was then signed on 17 May 2008, which tied Carrick to United until at least June 2012.[91] He participated in his first-ever Champions League final on 21 May inMoscow, playing the full 120 minutes in a 6–5 penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the2008 final.[92] The scoreline ended 1–1 afterextra time, he took United's second penalty of the subsequent shootout, which he converted to help give him the first European honour of his career.[93]
During United's first league game of the2008–09 season at home to Newcastle United, Carrick was substituted after just 25 minutes as a result of an injured ankle in the 1–1 draw.[94] The following day, it was confirmed he would be out for up to three weeks, which ruled him out of theUEFA Super Cup match againstZenit St. Petersburg on 29 August.[95] His return to action came on 13 September in a 2–1 away loss toLiverpool, he was taken off at half-time during after sustaining another injury.[96] Three days later, it was revealed he would be out for up to six weeks after breaking a bone in his foot during a challenge withYossi Benayoun.[97] On 1 November, Carrick scored his first goal of the season in a 4–3 home win overHull City.[98] His second goal followed two weeks later in a 5–0 home win overStoke City.[99] His first goal of 2009 came on 22 April as he scored late on in a 2–0 home win overPortsmouth.[100] On 13 May, he assistedCarlos Tevez and then scored a late winner in a 2–1 win away to Wigan. The goal was Carrick's first for United away from home and meant that they only needed one point from their final two games to gain a third successive Premier League title.[101][102] Carrick ensured a third title in three years with United as they drew with Arsenal 0–0 at home on 18 May to claim an 18th overall English title.[103] On 27 May, Carrick played the full match in the2009 Champions League Final in a 2–0 defeat byBarcelona.[104] This defeat was described by Carrick as worst night of his career as he said "the game just seemed to pass us by and we were unable to do anything about it. I suppose when you look at the big picture, it was still another Champions League final".[105]
On 30 September, Carrick scored his first goal of the2009–10 season with the decisive goal against German championsWolfsburg in a 2–1 Champions League win at home.[106] Two months later, he scored his first league goal of theseason, scoring the second of a 3–0 home win over Everton.[107] Due to a defensive crisis during December, Carrick had to fill in at centre-back sinceGary Neville, himself being played out of position, picked up an injury against West Ham United in a 4–0 away win.[108] Carrick had never previously played in defence during his career but manager Sir Alex Ferguson was very pleased with his contribution.[109] On 8 December, he played in defence again by playing in a three-man defence alongside central-midfielderDarren Fletcher and regular left-backPatrice Evra in a 3–1 away win against Wolfsburg in the Champions League.[110] His third goal of the season came on 30 December in a 5–0 home league win over Wigan Athletic in what was United's last game of the decade.[111]
On 25 January 2010, Carrick scored the first-everLeague Cup goal of his career in a 4–3 aggregate win over rivals Manchester City in the second leg of their semi-final tie.[112] On 6 February, Carrick scored in a 5–0 home win over Portsmouth but it was credited as aRichard Hughes own goal following the game.[113] However, theDubious Goals Panel officially awarded Carrick the goal on 25 May following a review.[114][115] On 16 February 2010, he was sent off for the first time in his career after seeing two yellow cards in United's 3–2 win over A.C. Milan at theSan Siro.[116] The midfielder was shown a second yellow card in injury-time after flicking the ball away following Patrice Evra's foul onAlexandre Pato.[117] Carrick played the entire game of the2010 League Cup Final against Aston Villa, which United won 2–1 resulting in his first League Cup medal.[118] This was the first season of his United career that would end without winning the league title as Chelsea claimed the crown by a single point on the final day of the season.[119]
On 6 August 2010, it was announced that Carrick would miss the start of the2010–11 season as a result of an ankle injury sustained in United's final pre-season game against aLeague of Ireland XI.[120] However, two days later, he played 79 minutes of United's 3–1 victory over Chelsea in the2010 Community Shield.[121] Manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed, "He came in yesterday, says he was fit, wanted to train, trained, and wanted to play."[122] On 3 March 2011, he signed a new three-year deal keeping him at the club until the end of the 2013–14 season.[123] Carrick's first significant display of the season came in a 1–0 away win over Chelsea in the Champions League on 6 April.[124] He played a vital pass in the move that led toWayne Rooney's goal and was praised for his performance.[125][126] However a few days later in the FA Cup semi-final againstManchester City Carrick gave the ball away which led to the only goal of the game scored byYaya Touré.[127]
At the start of the 2011–12 season, Carrick for the second season in a row was a shock starter atWembley for the2011 FA Community Shield. After initially being ruled out through injury by Alex Ferguson in the pre-match build-up, Carrick was named in the starting 11 for the game on 7 August 2011. In the first half, United fell behind to aJoleon Lescott header and a long rangeEdin Džeko strike to trail 2–0 at half time. Carrick was then substituted at the interval and replaced by youngsterTom Cleverley. However United went on to turn the game around and prevail 3–2 winners.[128] The day after the Shield match, Carrick pulled out of England's friendly match against the Netherlands to rest a niggling injury. He was replaced in the squad byTom Cleverley.[129] On 18 December, Carrick scored his first goal for United for 70 games when he advanced from his own half of the pitch after cutting outJoey Barton's square ball, past a couple of defenders and firing low past the keeper. He eventually won the Man of the Match award. On 4 January 2012, Carrick played his 250th match for Manchester United in all competitions in a 3–0 away defeat to Newcastle United.[130] He celebrated his Jubilee in a 3–2 away victory against Manchester City at theEtihad Stadium in theFA Cup third round. On 14 January 2012, Carrick scored for United in a 3–0 home win againstBolton. In the 83rd minute, Carrick notched his first goal atOld Trafford since January 2010. He curled a left-footed effort pastÁdám Bogdán into the bottom corner.[131] On 16 February 2012, in aEuropa League 2–0 away win againstAjax at theAmsterdam Arena, Carrick played his 500th match in all competitions. Carrick also showed his class when he thundered a shot from 30 yards against the post in a 2–0 win againstQPR on 8 April.[132]
As a result of a defensive injury crisis at the club, Carrick started the 2012–13 season as a makeshift centre-back. His inexperience in the role was exploited by Everton in the season opener, asMarouane Fellaini beat him to a corner kick to score the only goal of the game.[133] He continued in the role for the next match againstFulham.[134] He scored his first goal of the season in a 1–0 Champions League victory against Galatasaray, after series of ball movement leading to Michael Carrick rounding the goalkeeper to score with his left foot. On 24 November 2012, Carrick was left out the squad that defeated QPR 3–1, ending his run of 33 consecutive league starts.[135][136] April 2013 saw Carrick nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award for his performances during the season with Manchester United.[137] Arsenal managerArsène Wenger said Carrick would be his personal choice for the award, "He is a quality passer. He could play for Barcelona, he would be perfectly suited to their game. He has a good vision and is an intelligent player."[138] Tottenham wingerGareth Bale was ultimately voted as the winner;[139] Carrick was, however, included in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2012–13 season.[140] Carrick went on to be announced as Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season.[141]
On 22 November 2013, Manchester United announced that Carrick had signed a contract extension until 2015, with the option to extend for a further year.[142][143] In the 2013–14 season, Carrick struggled to retain his previous season's form, as Manchester United struggled generally under new managerDavid Moyes.[144] His season was not helped by a persistent achilles problem that kept him out from November until December,[145] whilst new signings in midfield such asMarouane Fellaini had failed to perform.[146]
In February 2014, Carrick was criticized by former club captain Roy Keane for what Keane thought was a poor interview.[147] Although he made a total of 42 appearances in all competitions that season,[148] there was speculation over whether Carrick had a future at Manchester United.[149][150] In July, Carrick suffered an injury during a pre-season training session that was expected to keep him out for 12 weeks.[144] Carrick's first game back from injury came at the 1–0 defeat against Manchester City on 2 November 2014, where he came on as a replacement centre-back followingChris Smalling's dismissal.[151] AfterMarcos Rojo suffered a dislocated shoulder in the same match, Carrick stated that he would be happy to play as a makeshift centre-back.[152] After Carrick returned to the starting line-up on a regular basis,Match of the Day 2 punditDietmar Hamann attributed some of Manchester United's improved form to Carrick's return in December, after the club had won all of the six games that he had started.[153]
Alex Ferguson stated that he thought Carrick was the best English player in an interview withBT Sport in December 2014, shortly after Carrick had been named as Manchester United's newvice-captain byLouis van Gaal.[154] On 15 March 2015, he provided an assist forMarouane Fellaini's goal, and scored his first goal in more than a year during a 3–0 victory against his former clubTottenham Hotspur.[155] Five days later, Carrick signed a new one-year extension to his contract, lengthening his Manchester United career to 10 seasons.[156] Carrick made his 400th Manchester United appearance on 2 January 2016 in the 2–1 home win overSwansea City, coming on as a stoppage-time substitute.[130][157] On 21 May, he played the full 120 minutes in United'sFA Cup win as United beat Crystal Palace 2–1 after extra time.[158] This victory completed his collection of every domestic honour in the English game.[159] He signed a new one-year contract extension on 9 June 2016.[160]
Carrick receiving aguard of honour at Old Trafford before his final match in 2018
Carrick scored his first goal of the2016–17 season on 21 September with United's first in a 3–1 away victory overNorthampton Town in the third round of theEFL Cup.[161] Carrick became a key member ofJosé Mourinho's team and his performances were highly recognised for his ability to control play, instil calmness and pass accurately. Mourinho also claimed that he wished Carrick was 10 years younger.[162] In May 2017, Carrick extended his contract until June 2018.[163] Eleven years of service to the club resulted in Carrick being granted a testimonial at the end of the 2016–17 season. Played at Old Trafford on 4 June 2017, the match was contested by a team representing Manchester United's 2008 Champions League-winning side and a team of all-stars selected by Carrick himself, managed by Sir Alex Ferguson andHarry Redknapp respectively. The match ended in a 2–2 draw with Carrick scoring from a 25-yard strike. The money raised from the game was distributed to Carrick's chosen charities.[164][165] Following the departure of club captain Wayne Rooney from Manchester United in July 2017, Carrick was appointed as Rooney's replacement.[166]
In November 2017, Carrick announced that he had undergone a procedure for an irregular heart rhythm after suffering dizziness during a match and in training. The medical treatment was successful and he returned to United's first-team squad as club captain.[167] In January 2018, Carrick accepted an offer to join the club's first-teamcoaching staff after his retirement at the end of the2017–18 season.[168] He made his 464th and final appearance as a player for Manchester United in the last match of the league season against Watford at Old Trafford on 13 May, in which he helped createMarcus Rashford's game-winning goal as his side won 1–0.[169] Carrick was substituted towards the end of the match to allow the fans to give him a standing ovation.[170]
Carrick wascapped by theEngland national under-18 andunder-21 teams before receiving his first call-up to thesenior team inSven-Göran Eriksson's first game in charge of England in February 2001.[58][171] Despite being named in the 31-man squad to faceSpain,[172] he was an unused substitute in England's 3–0 victory on 28 February.[173] Three months later he made his England debut,[58] replacingDavid Beckham as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 friendly win overMexico.[174] His full debut came during their 2–1 victory over theUnited States on 28 May 2005.[175] Three days later Carrick started again in a 3–2 victory overColombia in the final game of their tour of the US.[176]
On 8 May 2006, Eriksson named Carrick in a 23-man provisional squad for the2006 FIFA World Cup,[177] eventually being named in the final 23-man squad for the tournament in Germany.[178] He was an unused substitute for all three of England'sGroup B games as they advanced to theknockout stage.[179] Carrick played just one game in the tournament, a 1–0 victory in thesecond round match againstEcuador on 25 June.[180] The next game he was dropped to the bench for thequarter-final tie againstPortugal, withOwen Hargreaves replacing him.[181] The game ended goalless after extra time, Portugal won 3–1 in the subsequent penalty shootout and knocked England out of the World Cup.[182]
Carrick (bottom) in the 2–0 defeat toSpain in 2009
Carrick had been regularly overlooked by various England managers when it came to the central roles, withFrank Lampard and Steven Gerrard generally being preferred.[183] He started nine games under Sven-Göran Eriksson and his successorSteve McClaren.[179] His last appearance under McClaren was in a 2–1 defeat at home toGermany in August 2007.[184] Newly appointed managerFabio Capello left Carrick out of his first England squad on 2 February 2008.[185] During Capello's first year in charge of England Carrick was largely overlooked.[186] However, he was named in Capello's squad for the game against theCzech Republic,[187] but was forced to withdraw after sustaining an injury during Manchester United's game with Newcastle United.[188] In November 2008, he returned to the squad for a friendly against Germany inBerlin.[189] Starting alongside Gareth Barry in central midfield in England's 2–1 victory, he was named asMan of the Match by theBBC.[190]
Despite playing just one game during England's2010 World Cup qualification campaign,[191] he was named in Capello's 30-man preliminary squad for the2010 World Cup on 11 May 2010.[192] He played 61 minutes of their 3–1 warm-up friendly win overMexico before being replaced byTom Huddlestone.[193] On 2 June, Carrick was then named in the final 23-man squad to fly to South Africa for the tournament,[194] before being given the squad number 22.[195] During the World Cup Carrick failed to make it onto the pitch, remaining an unused member of the squad.[196] England were eventually knocked out of the tournament as they lost 4–1 to Germany in theirsecond round tie on 27 June.[197] On 6 August, Alex Ferguson claimed Carrick would be out for two weeks with an ankle injury and would miss England's friendly againstHungary the following Wednesday.[198] Capello left Carrick out of the subsequent England squad only to arrive atWembley and see him play 79 minutes of theCommunity Shield match.[199] Capello made a 'call me' sign as Carrick walked past his seat to collect the winner's medal.[200]
In May 2012, England manager Roy Hodgson said he left Carrick out of the 23-man squad and the standby list forUEFA Euro 2012 because he had previously toldThe Football Association that he did not want to be a bit-part player, although he could help the team "in extremis".[201] On 10 August, Carrick was recalled to the England squad by Hodgson for a friendly match againstItaly on 15 August.[202] He played the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 victory over theAzzurri in Switzerland and also took over thecaptain's armband from Frank Lampard for the final 20 minutes.[203] On 7 September 2012, Carrick came on a half-time substitute in England's 5–02014 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstMoldova.[204] He then started againstSan Marino in another 5–0 win the following month.[205] On 17 October 2012, Carrick partnered Steven Gerrard in central midfield in the away qualifier againstPoland.[206] On 26 March 2013, the partnership was renewed in England's qualifier againstMontenegro inPodgorica.[207] On 15 October 2013, Carrick started in England's final qualifier, a 2–0 home win against Poland, as the team qualified for the2014 World Cup.[208][209] In May 2014, Carrick was named on England's standby list for the2014 FIFA World Cup after being omitted from the main 23-man squad travelling to Brazil.[210]
Having not appeared since 2013, Carrick was named in the squad for the November 2014 matches withSlovenia andScotland. However, on 12 November, he pulled out of the squad after sustaining a groin injury.[211] On 27 March 2015, Carrick made his first appearance for England in 17 months, starting the 4–0UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying defeat ofLithuania at Wembley Stadium.[212] On 31 March 2015, Carrick made his 33rd appearance for the national team as a substitute for Manchester United teammate and defenderChris Smalling, performing impressively to help England earn a draw against Italy in an international friendly match.[213] On 14 November 2015, Carrick suffered an ankle injury during a match againstSpain and left the pitch on a stretcher. England went on to lose the game 2–0.[214][215]
Carrick remained at Manchester United after retirement, having been handed a position on José Mourinho's coaching staff, alongside fellow new appointeeKieran McKenna; both were filling the void left by former assistant managerRui Faria, who opted to begin his own spell in management. Mourinho was sacked by United on 18 December 2018,[216] following an indifferent first half of the season, resulting in Carrick briefly being named acting caretaker manager,[217] prior to the appointment of another former United playerOle Gunnar Solskjær into that position for the rest of the season.[218] Solskjær retained Carrick as part of his coaching staff,[219] with Solskjær and his coaching staff being appointed on a permanent basis in March 2019.[220]
On 21 November 2021, after Ole Gunnar Solskjær left his role asmanager, Carrick was namedcaretaker manager.[221] Carrick's first match in charge was anUEFA Champions League tie away atVillarreal, which United won thanks to late goals fromCristiano Ronaldo and a first United goal forJadon Sancho, sealing United's place in the last-16 of the competition.[222] Following a 3–2 victory againstArsenal on 2 December, Carrick stepped down as first team coach and left Manchester United with immediate effect, shortly after the appointment ofRalf Rangnick as interim manager, who would go on to remain in the role for the rest of the season.[223] During his three match reign as caretaker manager, he recorded two wins and one draw, with United also having drawn withChelsea in his first Premier League game.[224]
On 24 October 2022, Carrick was appointed head coach ofChampionship clubMiddlesbrough.[225] Middlesbrough were 21st in the Championship at the time of his appointment, with 17 points from 16 games played, one point above the relegation zone.[226][227] Despite taking the lead, Middlesbrough lost Carrick's first game in charge 2–1 away toPreston North End on 29 October.[228] Carrick won 16 of his first 23 Middlesbrough games as the club began to climb the table.[229] On 7 December 2022, Carrick was nominated for theEFL Championship Manager of the Month award for November after his first calendar month in charge.[230] Ten points from four matches, scoring thirteen goals along the way, saw him win the award for March 2023.[231] After guiding his side to a fourth-place finish, Middlesbrough lost in theplay-off semi-finals toCoventry City.[229]
In his second season with Boro, Carrick guided Middlesbrough to the semi-finals of theEFL Cup for the first time since 2004.[232] Middlesbrough won the first leg 1–0 at home againstChelsea,[233] but lost 6–1 in the return fixture.[234] Middlesbrough ended their 2023–24 campaign in 8th position.[235] On 3 June 2024, Carrick signed a new three-year contract.[236]
On 4 June 2025, Carrick was sacked by Middlesbrough following a tenth-placed finish.[237]
Despite playing as adeep-lying midfielder, Carrick did not rely on pace, stamina, physical attributes, box-to-box play and tackling like a typical ball-winning midfielder; instead, his intelligence and composure on reading of the game helped him to anticipate any attacking threats from the opposition team, most of the time by covering space and making interceptions.[240][241] His distribution of the ball, vision, creativity,playmaking skills,crossing ability, and range of passing, among the best in comparison to other midfielders in Europe,[4][5][138][242][243][244] was allied to an ability to dictate the tempo of the game, as well as initiate team attacks.[241][245]
After his arrival at Manchester United in 2006, Carrick formed an effective partnership[246] withPaul Scholes, with Carrick playing in a holding role and Scholes alongside him as a deep-seated playmaker.[247] This midfield partnership contributed to a change towards a continental playing style embraced by managerAlex Ferguson and assistantCarlos Queiroz, which relied on passing and keeping possession in contrast to the more traditionally direct and all-action style of English football.[248] His unassuming style, however, also led to a lack of attention from successive England national team managers in favour of all-action midfielders such asFrank Lampard andSteven Gerrard, a fact noted by Carrick's former club and national team captainWayne Rooney.[249]
Carrick's intelligence and awareness were highlighted by former Manchester United managerLouis van Gaal, who labelled him his "trainer coach during the game".[250] Furthermore, his importance to the team performance was constantly praised by former teammatesGary Neville and Paul Scholes,[251] as well as European peersXavi[238] andXabi Alonso.[252] In 2015,The Telegraph included him at number one in their list of "The top 20 most under-rated footballers of all time", describing him as an "unassuming but highly intelligent and technically gifted deep-lying midfielder", who "has consistently performed well".[253]
Carrick married Lisa Roughead, aPilates instructor with a business degree, inWymondham, Leicestershire on 16 June 2007. The couple started dating when they were both at school, and have a daughter, Louise, and a son, Jacey.[9][254]
Carrick has one brother, Graeme, who is four years younger. He was also at West Ham United but suffered several injuries, and has completed an MSc in Sport Coaching is currently anFA Regional Coach Mentor (North East & Yorkshire) after 7 years as anFA Skills Coach and a spell Coaching atTeam Northumbria, after previously working at theNewcastle United Academy coaching the under-10s and under-16s.[256][257]
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