Michael Carrick has won four of the five matches as Manchester United’s interim head coach since replacing Ruben Amorim in January

Michael Carrick has been handed a potential boost to his hopes of being given the Manchester United manager’s job on a permanent basis. United appointed Carrick as the club’s interim head coach until the end of the season and has enjoyed an impressive spell in charge so far.

United have won four of Carrick’s five matches in charge at Old Trafford, with the other game ending in a draw with WestZinedine Zidane Ham. That form has seen the Reds climb up to fourth place in the Premier League table and see their chances of Champions League qualification significantly improve.

Speculation has continued to swirl about who could become United’s permanent manager in the summer, with Ruben Amorim last holding the role before his exit back in January.

READ MORE: Manchester United wonderkid scores special goal as Michael Carrick watchesREAD MORE: Kai Rooney reacts as harsh reality of making it as a Man United player emerges

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Zinedine Zidane has been linked with the United job on several occasions in the past, but there have never been any concrete rumours claiming that an appointment suggesting a move could genuinely be on the cards.

Now, there has been an update on Zidane’s future, with the former Real Madrid boss being out of managerial work since his departure from his second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Zidane has reached a “verbal agreement” to be the new head coach of the France national team.

It has been claimed that Zidane will be taking the job in the summer after the World Cup is completed, with current head coach Didier Deschamps set to lead the country in the tournament, which is being hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

While Zidane has not been directly linked with the United job since Carrick’s appointment, if the report is true, it would hand the United interim boss a boost if he does have any hopes of getting the job at Old Trafford on a permanent basis.

United are currently preparing to face Everton in their next match in the Premier League and will be hoping to strengthen their position in qualifying for the Champions League with a valuable three points on their trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

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Harry Maguire has found himself at the centre of a Manchester United transfer disagreement

Sam Allardyce has rubbished Paul Scholes’ claim that Manchester United should sign Cristian Romero, having been asked if he’d take the Tottenham captain over Harry Maguire.

Scholes recently heaped praise on Romero, 27, following United’s 2-0 win over Spurs. Despite the Argentine centre-back being sent off for a reckless challenge that eventually saw his team lose, United legend Scholes remains a huge fan of the player.

He said on The Good, The Bad & The Football: “I love watching him. I think his head’s checked out at Spurs. I’d love him at United. I just love the character of him.”

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Whether United will in fact look to sign Romero in the summer remains to be seen, though any potential transfer may be dependent on whether former captain Maguire is kept on at Old Trafford. The central defender, 32, is set to become a free agent this summer unless he is handed a new contract in the coming months.

But former Premier League manager Allardyce thinks it would be the wrong decision to part ways with the Englishman in favour of bringing in Romero. When asked on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast what he made of Scholes’ comments and if he’d take Romero over Maguire, Allardyce was very clear that he valued Maguire’s defensive abilities more.

He slammed the Tottenham man by labelling him as “irrational”, claiming he has “so many flaws” and accusing Romero of still making the same rash mistakes he made when he was first signed.

Allardyce said: “Too risky [for United to sign him]. Too risky. Honestly, too risky. He doesn’t… Listen, if you’re a centre-half, your first priority, in respect to what Paul says, and I respect his opinion, is being a defender.

“‘How good are you at defending?’ Not, ‘How good are you at playing with the ball?’ That’s only an added bonus. People are looking for that more than looking at how good they are as defenders, which is a big problem at academy level.

“Because you’ve got all these 30 little coaches going around saying, ‘Can he play out from the back?’ Can he defend?! Like full-backs. That’s what their job is.”

Allardyce insisted Romero represents the type of defenders that are now emerging in modern football compared to his own time as a manager.

Romero was sent off against United earlier this month as Spurs suffered a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The Argentine’s straight red card for his high and late challenge on Casemiro means he has now been dismissed more than any other player in the Premier League since he joined Spurs in 2021.

He is under contract at Tottenham until 2029 after signing a contract extension last summer. Romero’s defensive partner for Argentina, Lisandro Martinez, is currently one of United’s first-choice centre-backs. Martinez regularly plays alongside Maguire, who has made 15 appearances across all competitions this season.

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Man Utd are set to play Everton in the Premier League on Monday and Mason Mount could return to the squad.

After Ruben Amorim’s sacking, Mason Mount was seen as the biggest ‘loser’ in Manchester United’s dressing room. Amorim did not hide his affection for Mount, saying that he “loved” the midfielder’s determination.

United were statistically a better team when Mount started in the first half of the campaign, which backed up the eye test. The 27-year-old scored goals against Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Wolves to finally build genuine momentum for the first time since his move to Manchester.

Unfortunately for Mount, he’s been unable to impress Michael Carrick as he did Amorim because he picked up a knock in training just as Carrick was getting his feet under the table at Carrington.

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Mount made a small cameo with an offside goal to his name in the Manchester derby victory, and was an unused substitute at the Emirates Stadium. He then picked up the training injury during the team’s preparation to face Fulham.

Earlier in the month, Carrick suggested Mount should be back in the squad to face Everton, but he did confirm the midfielder would return at the Hill Dickinson Stadium when he spoke on Friday.

Speaking at Carrington, Carrick explained: “Mason is getting closer, we have been patient with him. We don’t want to push anything. We want him back and fit. He is getting closer, which is good for us.”

Carrick did not outright commit to Mount returning to the squad in Merseyside, but it appears he has a strong chance of being available for selection again for the first time since Arsenal.

Mount will go from facing the challenge of regaining fitness to regaining a starting role, though. The change of formation poses questions about where he best fits into Carrick’s system.

The Portsmouth-born lad was perfectly suited to playing in one of the No.10 roles in Amoirm’s system, and perhaps his ideal position in Carrick’s shape would be the central attacking midfield role.

Bruno Fernandes has that position nailed down. You only need to look at Kobbie Mainoo, who was pitted against Fernandes by Amorim, meaning he did not make a start in the Premier League this season until Carrick was appointed, to see that Mount would face an impossible task to usurp the United captain.

The silver lining is that Mount is adaptable and versatile. He could play on either of the flanks or down the middle, where Bryan Mbeumo has played, so it’s certainly not all doom and gloom.

And Mount can take comfort from the fact that his position in the United squad looked weaker last summer when Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were signed. He still found a way to force his way into the team and become a key player, which shows he’s got the mettle to rise to another challenge.

Mbeumo and Cunha were signed to be the first choice in the No.10 roles, but Mount backed himself. Speaking in pre-season, he reflected: “Any opportunity you get, you’ve got to try and take it. And, yeah, I mean, I’ll always back myself. I know what I can do. But we’re a team and we’re all working together in that.

“Obviously, with the new signings coming in, they (Cunha and Mbeumo) are going to elevate us to another level, and we all need to be at that level to really perform.”

Mount will need to show the kind of determination that endeared him to Amorim in the second half of the campaign. He has missed some time to impress Carrick, who could land the job permanently in the summer, but he’s got form for bouncing back from setbacks and proving people wrong.

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Kai Rooney, 16, has already played at Old Trafford as he aims to follow his father Wayne into the Man United first team

Manchester United prospect Kai Rooney has already outlined the scale of his ambitious targets. The teenager, son of legendary United forward Wayne, previously stated he aspired to be a regular fixture for the first team at Old Trafford within the next decade.

Kai, 16, has developed into one of United’s most promising talents in recent years. Much like his father, he is a prolific forward whose main strength lies in his goalscoring ability.

The youngster has recently moved into a right-wing position and made his first competitive appearance at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup. He is even eligible to feature for the first team this season, though he doesn’t look especially close after he missed much of the first half of the campaign through injury.

Speaking in 2023, he discussed the scope of his goals should he progress to elite level football. He demonstrated that, despite his footballing pedigree, he isn’t expecting things to be handed to him on a plate and is prepared to work tirelessly and commit fully to realising his aspirations.

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“In 10 years, hopefully I will be playing in the Premier League for Man United,” the youngster said. “That’s where I see myself but I’ve got to make it happen with the hard work and everything behind the scenes.

“I could play on the wing as well, but I’m mainly a striker that scores goals,” he said while representing Manchester Grammar Schools during an international tournament in 2023. “That’s what I’ve got to keep doing to win the tournament.

“I’m quite pleased with my performances. Obviously, I could have been better, but generally, I think that I have been quite good.”

Coming anywhere near matching his father’s achievements will be no simple task. Wayne found the net 253 times to become United’s all-time leading scorer, but Kai has displayed promising signs of his ability at age-group level.

During the 2021/22 season with United’s Under-12s, Kai racked up 56 goals and provided 28 assists in a single campaign. This means he was directly involved in 84 goals over the course of the year.

Earlier this month, he netted four times for United’s U16s, and his displays have also secured him multiple appearances with the U18 squad, despite being younger than the majority of his team-mates.

“He’s enjoying it,” his father Wayne told The Athletic in July 2023. “That’s the most important thing. He’s doing everything he can to try to have a career in football and not just him, my other children as well.

“They love the game and my advice – to any children – is play to enjoy. There’s that much pressure when you do get to the professional level and sometimes you forget why you’re playing the game.

“You’re playing because you love playing the game and you enjoy playing the game. As long as you’re doing everything right to give yourself the best opportunity then you never know.”

Representing Liverpool Schoolboys, Wayne once netted 72 goals in a single season in his teens – a record that stood for nearly 20 years.

At just nine years old, playing for Copplehouse boys’ club in the Walton and Kirkdale junior league, he bagged 99 goals during the 1994/95 campaign. That remarkable goalscoring run caught the eye of Everton scout Bob Pendleton, who brought him to the Merseyside club.

Following his arrival at Everton’s academy, the goals continued to come. In 1995/96, featuring for both the club’s U10 and U11 sides, Wayne racked up an astonishing 114 goals in just 29 matches before eventually breaking into the first team at 16 and later going on to sign for United.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s past comments praising a former Manchester United team-mate have been backed up by a current star of the squad

Benjamin Sesko is hard at work attempting to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps by lifting Manchester United to greatness. And it seems the two are somewhat kindred spirits after each taking a liking to the same personalities at Old Trafford.

More specifically, Sesko has taken after Ronaldo by developing a close bond with United defender Diogo Dalot. Aside from both being from Portugal, Ronaldo spoke highly of his countryman’s characteristics when discussing players he admired.

It was towards the tail end of Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford that he infamously appeared on Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show. And when pressed on which team-mates or opponents he held respect for, Dalot came out atop the list regarding United comrades.

“In Manchester United I can mention Dalot,” said the five-time Ballon d’Or-winner. “He’s young, but very professional [and] I don’t doubt that he’s going to have longevity in football because he’s young, he’s smart, intelligent and he’s very professional. Probably [Lisandro] Martinez, Casemiro is in his 30s, but I will say Dalot.”

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Fast-forward to the present day, and Dalot has displayed other appealing traits after helping Sesko settle in. The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig last summer in a deal potentially worth £74million, but Dalot played his role in making the switch a simple one.

When asked about which players at United he has bonded with in particular, the Slovenian told the Inside Carrington podcast: “Diogo Dalot. From the start, he was really helping me.

“Trying to help me in all the ways because it’s a different world here. I’m really grateful that he stood up, and he saw his younger self in me. We are still pushing each other every day, doing all the work.”

United fans may have Dalot to thank for Sesko’s uptick in form of late as the striker has helped raise standards on the field. The frontman has scored five goals in his last six appearances and has been crucial to Michael Carrick’s success as interim manager.

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Sesko scored both of United’s goals in a 2-2 draw away at Burnley last month, albeit not the result he and his team-mates wanted. He’s since come off the bench to score the winner in the 3-2 victory over Fulham, as well as bagging the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at West Ham last week.

Dalot, 26, also continues to play a prominent role in Carrick’s plans despite some fans raising concerns about his contributions in the past. The full-back has scored once and recorded three assists in 26 outings across all competitions this term.

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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

The Porto academy graduate, who joined United in 2018, was of rare value in Ruben Amorim’s former strategy given he’s able to play in either wing-back position. That role is no longer in use under Carrick, but the club legend has nonetheless found use for a player both Sesko and Ronaldo clearly revere.

Dalot appears to have cemented his place as first-choice right-back under Carrick, while Sesko has largely had to settle for minutes off the bench. It’s a set-up that’s worked for the most part to date, though the latter will hope to share more minutes with his close companion in the months to come.

Manchester United travel to Everton on Monday night looking to avoid the Toffees doing the double over them after November’s awful defeat at Old Trafford.

“We are trying to be our best,” was the message from Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick ahead of Monday’s trip to Everton. “We have things to improve on but we have a good base and foundation moving forward, a good spirit and we will draw on pretty much all of that on Monday night.”

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The victories over Manchester City and Arsenal were unexpected, against Fulham his team showed the grit and determination needed to grind out a result and the win over Tottenham was another step in the right direction.

The draw last time out against West Ham was a bump in the road. United were not at their best and were frustrated by a side happy to sit back and hit them on the counter. If not for the heroics of Benjamin Sesko, the unbeaten run would have been over.

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But while the draw at the London Stadium was disappointing compared to the previous four games, it was nowhere near as bad as the loss to Everton back in November. It is understood the defeat to the ten-man Toffees was a contributing factor in the decision to sack Ruben Amorim in January.

David Moyes’ team did not need to do much to win that night. Once down to ten men, they were rigid, compact and pushed the onus onto United. Good teams would have seen that as a gift but United’s response was abject. They were slow in possession, wasteful with their build-up play and were punished for it.

Moyes received credit for the victory but United were the ones who presented it to him. As they head to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time, Carrick knows this game will be a huge test of his credentials.

There is confidence the interim head coach can do what his predecessor couldn’t. United have shown, albeit against more attacking opponents, they can stretch defences.

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The way they went from defence to attack against City was sensational. And while United are likely to have more of the ball against Everton, Carrick must show this team can keep that positivity in their play.

A key failing against Everton at Old Trafford was United’s slow use of the ball. They became too predictable and played into Moyes’ hands.

Since returning to United, Carrick has spoken a lot about knowing what it means to play for this club. That has been evidenced in most of the performances.

But this is another test in the interview process for the permanent role at Old Trafford. Carrick has a golden opportunity to show Ineos he can lead this team to good results with positive play against defensive set-ups. Moyes’ pre-match message will be simple: same again.

He will set Everton to play on the counter and catch United. If they keep 11 men on the pitch, they will show more attacking intent.

From Carrick’s perspective, he will hope his team have learnt their lesson from that November defeat. If they have, he will be another step closer to proving he is a viable option for the permanent job.

Kobbie Mainoo struggled for game time at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, but Diogo Dalot has told the England midfielder the experience will make him stronger

Diogo Dalot has told Kobbie Mainoo that being sidelined at Manchester United will ultimately make him better footballer. Mainoo came within touching distance of leaving United in a loan spell with Napoli during last month’s transfer window.

The England midfielder had grown increasingly frustrated with how former manager Ruben Amorim had handled him. Amorim consistently overlooked Mainoo for months, leaving him stranded on the sidelines and giving him plenty of time to contemplate his future.

However, Amorim’s dismissal in January provided Mainoo with a fresh start at Old Trafford. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Dalot believes the ordeal will benefit him in the long run.

He said: “That just shows that in football, no matter the manager that you have, you have to work the same way. For Kobbie, he could have gone the other way.

“Because it’s really hard for you, when you’re 20 years old, you played almost 80 games for the Manchester United first team, you played for England’s national team. You’ve been there at the top, and all of a sudden you don’t play.

“How can you explain to a 20-year-old guy that you need to go back to what you did before – train hard, be humble, just wait for your opportunity? I don’t think that’s bad for him to pass through this experience.

“You might say he should have played a little bit more, or not, that might be your opinion, or not. But for him to go through that experience, I think it will benefit him for the future.

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“And I think he feels that now, because he enjoys (football) more now. He will not take for granted playing week in, week out. If you ask me about that situation, I think you will benefit a lot from going through that in his career.”

While Mainoo was deemed surplus to requirements by Amorim, Dalot demanded a constant presence in the head coach’s plans, despite often being on the receiving end of criticism from fans. And the full-back has admitted that such scrutiny has been increasingly tough to overlook.

He added: “I think it became a little bit more difficult because of, obviously, what is happening online nowadays. Everybody can say whatever they want.

“And unless you live in a cave, you’re going to be aware of what is being said or what is happening. But to be honest, because my football career, professional career, was all the time here, so I had to learn how to balance that. I had to deal with it.”

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Bruno Fernandes has been a talisman for Manchester United during a difficult period and he has been told to make a decision on his future despite his importance to the club

Bruno Fernandes’ importance to Manchester United in recent seasons cannot be understated. “Shut down Bruno, United won’t score!” said Ange Postecoglou of his Tottenham side’s plan in the Europa League final.

The Portugal international has been central to most positive actions on the pitch for United since he arrived at Old Trafford. It has not been enough to reestablish the club at the top of the Premier League, but no opposition coach can take on United without thinking about how to contain him.

“I knew if we shut down Bruno [Fernandes], they weren’t going to score,” Postecoglou said. “I just felt with United, the way they set up with Ruben [Amorim] and the kind of ways they would try to break us down if we were really solid defensively, as long as we scored, we had to get a goal.”

Since that devastating result, Fernandes’ future has been thrown up in the air. While the club signed figures such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in a bid to alleviate the pressure on Fernandes, the talisman still has 18 goal contributions this term, six more than any of his teammates.

That was not always destined to be the case. Fernandes has admitted he weighed up a move to Saudi Arabia and spoke to Al-Hilal over a potential transfer last year after United showed little determination to keep him. The star ultimately preferred to stay put despite the Saudi club being prepared to bid £100million and offer weekly wages of up to £700,000.

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Fernandes has since admitted he was saddened by United’s stance. “From the club I felt it was, ‘If you go it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit,” he said.

“More than hurting me, it makes me sad. I’m a player that no-one can criticise, I’m always available, I always give my best. I could have left in this transfer window, I would have earned much more money. I would have won many trophies this season but I decided not to go, not only for family reasons but because I genuinely love the club.”

But now, Fernandes has been told to consider his future once again. Former United striker Louis Saha believes it is imperative for the playmaker to be selfish.

Saha told CasinoHawks: “I think for the respect that we all have for Bruno Fernandes, I think he’s a terrific player, he has to consider his future because, looking at the strategy of INEOS, the way they think is very uncertain. It’s really difficult to anticipate.

“I can imagine a player of his stature, who has delivered as much as he has over the years, has to think about himself at some point. Those people at the top think about the club, and they think about their own position. The reality is, you can love the club as much as you want, it doesn’t matter. At some point, you have to make your own decision.

“This isn’t to say, ‘Bruno, you have to go.’ No, he has to think about his own career. It’s not only about trophies because we know 100%, I have no doubt about that, that Bruno wants to win a major trophy with Manchester United.

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“It would be his proudest moment because he really loves the club and he’s shown that with his dedication. He was disappointed because he has seen, he has heard some behaviour around his future that he didn’t like, so it’s up to him to make the decision.

“But he also has to consider staying as well if he feels that the club and the staff are really behind him, because he needs the support to go out there and be the captain we need.”

Manchester United appointed Michael Carrick as their interim head coach, and the former Middlesbrough boss is said to have as good a chance as anyone at getting the job permanently

Jonathan Woodgate and Steve Holland have helped Michael Carrick become the favourite to be Manchester United’s next permanent head coach.

Carrick is now said to lead the race for that job according to The i Paper, and stands as good a chance as any external candidate, having impressed since replacing Ruben Amorim. The interim staying on next season suggests Holland and Woodgate are due to remain in their coaching roles, too.

The i Paper claims sources say they, along with fellow coaches Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, have the “perfect balance”. One source reportedly said they were surprised a Premier League rival did not hire Holland, highlighting his ability and know-how.

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A long-time assistant at Chelsea before joining the England set-up, Holland’s experience has reputedly helped Carrick’s younger coaches to operate cohesively. Woodgate is one of those, having worked only at Bournemouth and Middlesbrough previously.

However, learning to speak Spanish while playing for Real Madrid during his playing career is said to have proved vital. Tactical insights from the former England international have surprised some, while the former defender’s individual work with Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro has also been highlighted.

Carrick has spoken at length to the BBC about his coaches. He said, “There’s a really strong group, and it feels like we’ve been together a long time, but we didn’t all know each other.

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“I didn’t really know Steve personally an awful lot. I thought it would come together nicely and was balanced, and there’s a reason why I wanted to bring Steve in.

“Jonathan… I had him at Middlesbrough – loyal, gets me, knows me, pushes me, challenges me… really good relationship. Jonny [Evans] knew the club. He’s been here so long and has a really good relationship with the players as well… loves coaching, loves helping, cares a lot.

“And then with Travis… the club needs the academy. It’s a massive part of this football club. I think there’s a really good balance with the responsibility of the academy, young players and then Jonathan and Jonny – being two of the best centre-backs you could come across in the last 20-25 years – to pass their information on.

“Steve – with his experience in so many ways… Chelsea, with change of managers and different styles of managers and top, top players, and England. All the staff are able to cope being around the environment, and I think that’s so important.

Carrick confirmed they challenge him, adding: “I can’t be right the whole time – it’s impossible. That’s why we’ve got a group of six in our office.

“We’ve all got strong opinions, but I think we all filter it, and it’s important that we have a connection and understanding of what direction we want to go in. We have to push each other, for sure.”

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Manchester United face a decision in the summer over whether to appoint a new permanent head coach or make Michael Carrick their boss full time, and the Reds icon has already made his stance clear

Michael Carrick has made no secret of his desire to take the Manchester United job on a permanent basis beyond the summer. The former midfielder has lifted the mood around Old Trafford since stepping in as interim head coach following Ruben Amorim’s departure in January.

Carrick has overseen five matches so far, guiding United to four wins, including impressive victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

The club is still expected to wait until the end of the season to appoint a permanent head coach, and one candidate under consideration is Oliver Glasner, who has already announced he will leave Crystal Palace come the summer. It looks increasingly likely, however, he could depart a lot sooner.

Carrick, on the other hand, has been clear about his intentions and his desire to take United forward. In an interview with BBC Sport, he said: “It’s not a stock answer – for me, it’s the ultimate role. I’m really enjoying it, I love what I’m doing.

“I’m fortunate. I feel privileged to be in the position I am, but it’s not the fact that I believe I can do it and I’m here to do it. I said it when I came in – there’s the sentimental side of that, of understanding the role and coming through the club and being here and loving the club and being a supporter and all that side of it is one thing.

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“But, actually, I’m here to do a job now and to make a good team and be successful. I don’t decide how long that’s going to be but I love being here and and while I’m here, I’ll give everything I can.

“And I always plan for the long-term future for the benefit of the football club. That’s how I believe it should be.”

Carrick went on to emphasise how happy he is with his role at the club, adding: “I’m loving what I’m doing. Again, you know… really good people. The staff are fantastic, the players have been unbelievable.

“It’s a really good place to come in every single day – to drive in and look forward to being here. And then, obviously, around the city and globally, the reaction and the support that you get – it’s very hard to describe it. It’s incredible.

“So, yeah, I’m delighted to be here.”

United are back in Premier League action on Monday night (February 23) as they travel to Everton under the lights at Goodison Park (8pm kick-off). They remain unbeaten in their last five games.

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