“Having the responsibility of managing Manchester United is an honour,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United.
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The former midfielder was previously unbeaten in three games as caretaker manager at Old Trafford in 2021.
Carrick then took up his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the Championship.
He has a daunting first task: preparing his men to face local rivals Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
United are seventh in the table but are in the race to qualify for the lucrative Champions League for the first time in three seasons.
The Red Devils are three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and just one point behind Brentford in fifth place.
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Finishing in the top four would guarantee qualification for the Champions League and the top five is likely to be enough thanks to the good performance of English teams in European competitions.
“I know what it takes to be successful here; my goal now is to help the players reach the standards we expect at this incredible club, and we know this group is more than capable of producing,” Carrick added.
“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to bring everyone together and give the fans the performances their loyal support deserves.”
The Red Devils sacked Ruben Amorim last week after a dismal 14-month spell at Old Trafford for the Portuguese.
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But hopes of an immediate rebound were dashed, with caretaker manager Darren Fletcher overseeing a 2-2 draw against lowly Burnley in the Premier League and a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup.
– A safe pair of hands –
United’s exit from both domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle, plus a lack of European football, means they will play just 40 games this season, their lowest number since the 1914/1915 campaign.
Carrick’s experience at United as a player and coach is understood to have convinced the club’s hierarchy that he is the safe pair of hands they need in the coming months.
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“Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United,” said the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox.
“He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success.”
After spells at West Ham and Tottenham, he moved to United, winning five league titles and the Champions League in a 12-year stay.
When his playing career came to an end in 2018, Carrick joined United’s coaching staff as assistant to José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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Following Solskjaer’s dismissal five years ago, he briefly took charge of the first team, achieving impressive results against Chelsea, Arsenal and Villarreal.
However, his stay at Middlesbrough ultimately proved a disappointment.
Armed with one of the biggest budgets in the Championship, he reached the play-offs in his first season in charge, losing to Coventry over two legs in the semi-finals.
Boro finished eighth and 10th in Carrick’s two full campaigns in charge and he was sacked at the end of last season for failing to gain promotion to the Premier League.
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