Michael Carrick has agreed to become Manchester United's new interim head coach, add brought a former Liverpool scout on board
Fenway Sports Group CEO of Football Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards headhunted Jonathan Woodgate(Image: (Robin Jones/Getty Images))
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Michael Carrick has agreed to take charge of Manchester United, and been named as the new interim head coach, following the club's search for a successor to Ruben Amorim who was dismissed last week.
Carrick emerged as the leading candidate after discussions with the club and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The ex-England international has been without a role since departing from Championship side Middlesbrough last year.
Joining Carrick at Old Trafford will be former Liverpool scout and Premier League defender Jonathan Woodgate. Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion are also set to form part of Carrick's team, while ex-England assistant manager Steve Holland is expected to serve as his deputy.
Woodgate retired in 2016 after a second spell with his hometown club Middlesbrough, having also represented Leeds United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City during his playing career.
Shortly after retiring, he joined Liverpool's recruitment team, having developed a close relationship with Michael Edwards during their time together at Tottenham Hotspur. Woodgate served as a scout for Liverpool, focusing on players in continental Europe.
Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Carrick
Jonathan Woodgate is part of Michael Carrick's backroom team at United(Image: Trevor Wilkinson | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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In addition to scouting in Spain and Portugal, he was also tasked with overseeing specific targets in other locations.
"After I finished playing at 36, I got a call from Michael Edwards," Woodgate revealed to The Coaches' Voice in 2021. "He had been an analyst at Tottenham during my time there and later became Liverpool's sporting director.
"He knew I loved my video sessions with him at Spurs, and he offered me the chance to do a bit of recruitment work for Liverpool – specifically, focusing on players in Spain and Portugal.
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Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick (left) and first team coach Jonathan Woodgate on the touchline during the Carabao Cup first round match at Elland Road, Leeds. Picture date: Wednesday August 14, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Leeds. Photo credit should read: Nick Potts/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.(Image: )
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"I dived straight in, and I loved it. I learned so much about that side of recruitment – being able to really tell if a player had a good game – and it gave me another skill going forwards."
Woodgate departed his position with the Reds in March 2017 to take up a first-team coaching role at Middlesbrough. By June 2019, Woodgate was appointed as the club's permanent manager before being sacked a year later.
The 45-year-old, who also enjoyed a short stint at Bournemouth in 2021, made his way back to the Riverside in October 2022 as a first-team coach after Carrick's appointment. He left the club alongside the former Manchester United midfielder in June last year.
Carrick is set to lead training for the first time on Wednesday, with United's squad having a day off on Tuesday.
The ex-United star returns to the club after leaving United in December 2021. He stepped down as first-team coach following Ralf Rangnick's appointment as interim manager, having served as caretaker boss for three games.