Legendary former manager Alex Ferguson recently talked about the potential he recognized in Michael Carrick from an early age and the way in which he has confirmed it.
Ferguson says that even at 16-years-old there was a lot to be said about Michael Carrick’s character. In fact, the former manager says that this was the most impressive trait that made him take notice and prepare to make a bid for the future Manchester United midfielder.
“One of the things that stuck out to me when we were profiling him and preparing to make a bid was that as a young boy, 16 years of age, he left home to play for West Ham,” Ferguson told Manchester United’s website.
“That tells you that the boy had the confidence that he was going to make it. A 16-year-old kid from Newcastle going to east London, that’s a trek, and it impressed me.”
Carrick has enjoyed a great career at Manchester United, although as is the case with many defensive midfielders, his contribution may have been overlooked at times. A player possessing a similar level of skill as Andrea Pirlo or Claude Makelele, the 35-year-old has recently signed an extension on his contract with United.
“From the minute we bought Michael in 2006, his character has always been outstanding. He’s a football man and that character, coupled with his ability, made him a certainty to be a big success at United.”
To celebrate his career at Manchester United, Carrick will be offered a testimonial game to be played on Old Trafford. The game will have players from Manchester United’s Champions league winning side of 2008 square against an all-star squad. Alex Ferguson will manage Manchester United, of course, while Harry Redknapp will be on the bench for the all-stars.
United’s squad will feature former greats such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, who both had kind words to say about Carrick. Scholes calls Carrick “one of the Premier League’s best-ever midfielders”. Ryan Giggs believes Carrick was an important reason for Manchester United’s success. “I think ever since Michael joined the club, United have been winning trophies – he’s been a special player and fully deserves his testimonial.”
