Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Michael Carrick as head coach of the men’s first team until the end of the 2025/26 season, turning to one of their most respected modern-era figures in a move that blends symbolism with strategy.
A pillar of United’s midfield for over a decade, Carrick made 464 appearances for the club and collected every major honour, including five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League. Yet his importance was never measured solely in trophies. He was the organiser, the stabiliser, the quiet reference point in teams built to win.
“Leading Manchester United is not just a job, it’s a responsibility,” Carrick said at his unveiling. “This club demands excellence every single day. My job is to make sure the players live up to that, and I believe this group is capable of much more than they’ve shown.”
Since retiring in 2018, Carrick has carefully built his coaching career. He remained at Old Trafford as part of the first-team staff under José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, before stepping in as caretaker manager following Solskjær’s departure — a short spell that left a strong impression inside the club.
He then spent two and a half years at Middlesbrough, a period widely viewed within the game as crucial to his development. “I needed to go away and really be a head coach in my own right,” Carrick explained. “That experience changed me. I come back more prepared, more demanding, and clearer in what I want from a team.”
United’s hierarchy believe they are appointing a coach who already understands the club’s DNA. “Michael knows what winning looks like at Manchester United,” said director of football Jason Wilcox. “He knows the standards, he knows the pressure, and he has the respect of the players. This is not a learning curve appointment.”
“The talent is there”
Carrick inherits a squad he knows well and is confident about. “I’ve worked with many of these players and followed the team closely. The talent is there. The mentality has to match it, every day, in every session,” he said. “There’s still a lot to fight for, and we intend to do it together.”
He will be supported by a staff including Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion, Jonny Evans and Craig Mawson, as United aim to combine continuity with renewed authority.
The club also paid tribute to Darren Fletcher, who led the team on an interim basis and will return to his role with the Under-18s.
For supporters, Carrick represents a return to substance over noise. “This club has always been at its best when it’s been clear, demanding and united,” Carrick said. “That’s what we’re going to work to restore.”
At Old Trafford, the Carrick era begins not with grand promises, but with a familiar belief: that standards, not slogans, are what define Manchester United.
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