Michael Carrick is one of the candidates shortlisted for the West Ham United managerial position. The bookies’ favourite and former player has reportedly expressed interest in the role and is favoured by one of the board members.
Unfortunately for Carrick, the backing of one board member might not be enough with Graham Potter emerging as the most likely candidate. However, that has not stopped the bookies from linking the former Hammers midfielder with the top job.
Carrick is currently the manager of Championship side Middlesbrough, having joined them in October 2022. Boro occupy fifth place after 18 games this season and are chasing promotion.
His first campaign in charge almost led to promotion, losing to Coventry City in the semi-finals of the playoffs. His second year was more challenging due to the loss of key players and injuries within the squad. Despite this, Boro finished a respectable eighth with 69 points, just four points off a play-off place.
Prior to managing Middlesbrough, Carrick served as interim manager at Manchester United, overseeing an unbeaten three-game run with two wins and a draw. He was also United’s assistant manager from July 2018 to November 2021.
Aged 43, Carrick is well known to Hammers fans, having graduated from the West Ham Academy in 1999. He left the club in 2004 after West Ham failed to secure promotion from the Championship, losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the play-off final.
He then spent two years at North London rivals Spurs before joining Manchester United, where he enjoyed a trophy-laden 12 years, alongside his earlier InterToto Cup success with West Ham.
Carrick favours a 4-2-3-1 possession-based formation, drawing influence from his time under Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal, as well as the Johan Cruyff school of football. The philosophy focuses on controlling the ball to dominate the game.
Jonathan Woodgate serves as his assistant manager, while his younger brother Graeme, a former **West Ham** youth player, is the First Team coach at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.
Carrick has attracted interest from several clubs and was previously linked to the West Ham job in early 2023 when [David Moyes](https://www.claretandhugh.info/david-moyes-bio/) was under pressure. Leicester City also considered him before appointing another ex-Manchester United player, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Carrick’s contract with Middlesbrough runs until June 2027, meaning West Ham would need to negotiate compensation should he decide to return to his former club.