A former Manchester United team-mate of Michael Carrick reckons the club has made the right choice
Michael Carrick pictured during his time as Middlesbrough manager
Michael Carrick has been appointed as Manchester United's interim head coach(Image: Getty Images)
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A former Manchester United team-mate of Michael Carrick has revealed why the club made the perfect choice in appointing him as interim head coach. The announcement of Carrick taking on the role for the remainder of the season was made on Tuesday following the sacking of Ruben Amorim after only 14 months at the helm.
Carrick will return to Old Trafford to oversee the team after a brief stint as caretaker manager in 2021/22. The 44-year-old joins United as they sit seventh in the Premier League, three points below fourth.
Ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster, who was at the club with Carrick for four years between 2006 and 2010, has now said his calm manner means he is the ideal fit for the job. It follows United opting against giving the interim role to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Foster said: "He [Carrick] is perfect for what they need right now. Whether it's long-term, I think that remains to be seen. The next four months of the season will tell us all we need to know.
"But for now, he's just nice and calm. He never gets too excited, never gets too carried away. He's the kind of person where you never really know what he's thinking, because he is so calm and he's always got it under control.
"I think that carries a weight of respect. With him going into that dressing room, I think the lads will look up to him a little bit."
John O'Shea (C) Michael Carrick (L) and Ben Foster (R) speak to Malaysian Manchester United fans in Kuala Lumpur
Michael Carrick (L) and Ben Foster (R) pictured together during their time at Manchester United(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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Carrick guided Middlesbrough to the Championship play-offs as manager in 2022/23 but was sacked in June 2025 after eighth and tenth place finishes. His main aim at United will be to try and guide the club back into the Champions League for next season.
Recent history suggests it will not be a simple task and Foster has also expressed sympathy for United's under-fire squad following their FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton. It follows the ex-Watford and Wrexham stopper highlighting the extreme pressure faced by players at Old Trafford.
He said: "I think it's the hardest club in the world to play for at Manchester United. The attention that they get is so intense and unless you're mentally able to cope with all of the noise, then you're on the back foot from the get go.
Manchester United players look dejected
Ben Foster says he feels for the Manchester United team after they crashed out of the FA Cup(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
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"I've seen Man United sign players who are nine out of ten ability wise, and as soon as they put that red shirt on, it turns them into a six out of ten. The weight of it is so, so heavy."
Foster added: "I've been there myself. I put a Manchester United shirt on, I felt that weight and I couldn't deal with it. I think I'm a fairly grown up kind of person, but I couldn't deal with the weight of it. I really do feel for a lot of these Manchester United players."
Carrick's tenure will begin with the Manchester derby on Saturday, after which he will oversee 17 Premier League fixtures as he looks to impose his vision on the side. During his brief stint as caretaker manager in 2021, Carrick guided United to an unbeaten record, picking up two victories and a draw from his three games in charge.