RED OR DEAD
Carrick: I’ll quit if I don’t get new deal
MICHAEL CARRICK will quit football this summer if he is not offered a new contract by Manchester United.
The veteran midfielder, who has announced his testimonial, said he could not see himself playing for a club other than United.
Carrick is out of contract at the end of this season and has yet to be offered a year-long extension.
And the 35-year-old, who hopes to raise £1million for charity from his June 4 testimonial, is ready to call time on his illustrious career if United boss Jose Mourinho decides he no longer needs him.
“I don’t think there are many places I’d want to play, if any, after this anyway,” said Carrick.
“I probably would say, ‘Yes, that would be it.’ I’ve had such a time here that I don’t think I’d go elsewhere.
“I understand I’m not going to play every game and I haven’t really got a problem with that, but I need to be playing enough.
“There’s pride as well. Gary Neville springs to mind – he stopped halfway through the season. “He said, ‘You know what, that’s it, I can’t do it now,’ which you’ve got to respect. I don’t want to be hanging around too long just for the sake of it. I’d want to be going out when I still feel I’m contributing enough.”
Carrick has yet to learn his fate from Mourinho but expects to sit down with the United boss in the coming weeks.
“I haven’t really had that much of a conversation with him yet,” said Carrick.
“Obviously that will happen at some stage, pretty soon I’d have thought. That’s something I’m really relaxed about and I’m sure he is as well.”
Carrick will reunite many of United’s Premier League and Champions League-winning side of 2008 for his Old Trafford testimonial. Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will be among those taking on an All-Stars side featuring Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Owen.
But Carrick has been unable to get Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, both members of United’s 2008 side, on board.
“It would be great to get every single player together,” said Carrick.
“I’ve spoken to Ronaldo but it’s the Champions League final the day before.
“Tevez has gone to China. He said he would love to have played but he didn’t know where he’d be.
“There’s a reason I can’t say 100 per cent who’s going to be there. But most of them will be there.”
Tickets for Carrick’s testimonial on June 4 are on sale now, available from www.manutd.com/carricktestimonial or calling 0161 868 8004, with all proceeds going to www. michaelcarrickfoundation.org