Michael Carrick is set to be named Manchester United's interim manager and he spent several seasons working under Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson lost his temper at Michael Carrick during his Manchester United career(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick enjoyed tremendous success at Manchester United but even he was not spared Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer treatment. The 44-year-old has agreed a deal in principle to take over as interim manager until the end of the season.
The former defensive midfielder won 12 major honours with the club during his time as a player, including five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. He quickly slotted into United’s midfield, which had struggled post-Roy Keane, and helped usher in a new era of success.
Carrick played an unsung role on the pitch, primarily focused on bringing balance to the team and setting the tempo from midfield. His contributions were often overlooked by neutrals but there was at least one occasion when Carrick caught Ferguson’s eye for the wrong reasons.
The incident happened during the 2008 Club World Cup final against Ecuadorian side Liga de Quito, which was 0-0 at half-time. While Carrick argued that all his passes, except one, had been played forwards during the 45 minutes, Ferguson disagreed and made his feelings clear during the interval.
In his 2018 autobiography, Between the Lines, Carrick wrote: "The moment I entered the changing room, the boss launched into me. 'Pass the ball f****** forward, I f****** told you'. Sir Alex was raging.
"When he was like that you had to sit there and take it, let him blow off some steam. On the outside, I was calm, nodding at the boss's points, hiding my anger.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Michael Carrick
Sir Alex Ferguson has previously praised Michael Carrick's time at United(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images))
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"On the inside, I was fuming saying to myself, 'I must have played 40 passes forward here and he's picked the one where I've gone back'. But the boss was so wound up that I didn't dare voice my defence."
United, who had qualified for the Club World Cup in Yokohama after winning the Champions League, ultimately clinched the trophy with a 1-0 victory. Wayne Rooney scored the decisive goal, despite being a man down after Nemanja Vidic’s red card.
Losing his temper at Carrick was likely a rare occurrence for Ferguson, given the midfielder’s consistency, with the iconic manager responsible for 319 of his 464 appearances for the club. Signed from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, Ferguson was quickly convinced that Carrick would be a hit at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick had a three-game spell as United caretaker manager in 2021(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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"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 recalled.
"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.
"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."
After retiring in 2018, Carrick joined United’s coaching staff under Jose Mourinho and kept his role under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Leaving the club upon the appointment of Ralf Rangnick, his next job saw him become Middlesbrough manager in October 2022, a position he held until the end of last season.