Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Michael Carrick to one day take charge at Manchester United and believes his former assistant is destined for the role.
Carrick is currently working wonders at Middlesbrough following his appointment in October, taking the Teesside club from just above the Championship relegation zone into the playoffs, where they meet Coventry in a two-legged semi-final. The 41-year-old honed his coaching skills alongside Solskjaer before leading United for three matches after the Norwegian had been sacked.
United picked up two wins and a draw in that time, though Solskjaer claims Carrick admitted to him he did not want the job full-time. Yet the former Red Devils boss believes Carrick possesses all the qualities for the Old Trafford hotseat, should his heart desire.
“Michael is a proper human being, a proper man who you want to be successful. There’s no s*** about him, he does what he does for the right reasons," Solskjaer told The Athletic.
Describing Carrick as "calm and reflective", Solskjaer - who feels he shares similar traits as his old no.2 - added: “He’s a winner, a massive winner, yet he stays in control of his emotions. He knows what he wants and doesn’t lose his rag. He’ll never be emotional and fight with the players."
Carrick moved into coaching immediately after his retirement from playing and formed part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff. Solskjaer opted to keep Carrick on after replacing Mourinho in 2019 and the pair formed a close bond.
That relationship may have been tested when Solskjaer was given the boot by United in November 2021 amid a disastrous run of results and performances. But Solskjaer revealed it was he who told Carrick that United wanted him to step into the role as caretaker and urged his reluctant colleague to grasp the opportunity with both hands, before Carrick told him 10 days later he 'didn't want' to continue - something his old boss "took as a compliment".
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you like to see Carrick in the Man Utd hotseat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Carrick oversaw a Champions League group stage victory over Villarreal before a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, followed by a 3-2 win against Arsenal, though departed the club after the appointment of Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis.
While United endured an ill-fated reign under the Austrian, prior to Erik ten Hag's arrival, Carrick bided his time before jumping back into management with Middlesbrough, who he steered to a fourth-placed finish with a free-scoring style of play which saw them end the campaign with the second-highest amount of goals scored, just three behind title-winners Burnley.
Should Carrick, who won the Champions League and numerous honours under Sir Alex Ferguson as a player, continue on his upward trajectory as a coach, links with the job at United will only continue to gather pace. Solskjaer explained how Carrick's caring nature rubs off on his players and has them ready to run through brick walls for him.
"As a player, you’d want to do well for Michael because he cares about you. He wants you to be the best you can be," Solskjaer said. "If I was a player I’d want him as a manager because he wouldn’t be unreasonable. He knows what he wants. He demands respect and hard work, but he gives it back as well."
Solskjaer also assessed how Carrick's ease with dealing with former team-mates after his move into coaching convinced him he could handle the top job, praising the authority he commanded as his no.2.
"I am 100 per cent sure that Michael will be the manager of Manchester United if he wants to be," he added. "I cannot see him not being the Manchester United manager.”
