Michael Carrick has received a two-year contract from Manchester United following a successful trial period as interim head coach. The club announced on Friday that Carrick would serve as its seventh permanent manager since the departure of Alex Ferguson in 2013. Carrick stated that the team had demonstrated resilience and unity over the past five months and now aimed to progress with renewed ambition. He added that the club and its supporters merit competition for major trophies. Under Carrick the side achieved Champions League qualification along with notable victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. His interim record shows eleven wins from sixteen matches and just two defeats, lifting the team to third place in the Premier League after a fifteenth-place finish the previous season. Although questions remain about his suitability for the long term following years of inconsistency since Ferguson, his results made it difficult for executives to ignore him. Director of football Jason Wilcox noted that Carrick had earned the chance to continue, citing both on-field improvements and an approach consistent with club values. Supporters and former players backed the appointment, and several squad members showed improved form. Carrick’s prior senior managerial role was at second-tier Middlesbrough between 2022 and 2025. The club evaluated other candidates including Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner before confirming Carrick. Wilcox highlighted the achievement of returning to the Champions League and the positive culture established at the training ground. Carrick becomes the latest manager tasked with restoring success after Ferguson, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. As a player he contributed to multiple title wins, including the 2008 Premier League and Champions League double.
