Man City and Man United Under-18s will face off in the FA Youth Cup final next week but the game won't be played at the Etihad Stadium.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick has criticised the decision to stage next week's Youth Cup final at the Joie Stadium
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Michael Carrick admitted he was "disappointed" at Manchester City's decision to schedule their FA Youth Cup final showdown with Manchester United at the Joie Stadium, rather than at the 53,000-capacity Etihad.
The two clubs' academy sides will meet in the first Manchester derby Youth Cup final showdown in 40 years next Thursday, but City insist their first-team stadium is unavailable as they seek to finalise the opening of the North Stand redevelopment.
United offered to stage the game at Old Trafford, but City rejected the plan as they wanted to maintain home advantage, and the game will instead go ahead at their 7,000-capacity stadium at the training ground, which is used for academy and women's fixtures.
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The decision has been criticised by United fan groups, with the visitors receiving just 968 tickets for the final, and Carrick weighed in to express his own frustration.
"I'm disappointed, to be honest. I think getting to the Youth Cup final always seems to have been a thing where you play at the main stadium and it's such a showcase event for players of that age group," he said. "So we're disappointed.
"I think I've had some amazing memories, some of my best memories, in that competition of playing with your close mates and it's a shame that it hasn't worked out for whatever reason. But listen, for the boys to go there, it's a fantastic game, it's a great opportunity. I'm sure the game itself will be good, and I'm looking forward to going and supporting the boys."
Carrick has been an avid backer of United's academy teams since his appointment to the role of first-team head coach in January and he has been a regular at Youth Cup fixtures, including making the six-hour round trip to Oxford for their fifth round tie at the Kassam Stadium. United have been drawn at home in every other round this season and have staged all of those fixtures at Old Trafford.
Carrick also has experience of playing in a Youth Cup final, having scored in West Ham's 9-0 win against Coventry City over two legs in 1999.
United last reached the final in 2022, when more than 67,000 fans were at Old Trafford to see them beat Nottingham Forest. Carrick was at that game as a supporter and could see what it meant to the young players on the pitch, which only adds to his disappointment at a missed opportunity this season.
"I was at that game, the Forest game [was a] special special night, to see the stadium full for a game like that," he said.
"It was kind of what you'd hoped really for that, but it is what it is and there's nothing from what I know that can be done about it.
"It's kind of agreed, and hopefully, as years go by it can be flipped to the main stadiums."