Jose welcomes Carrick into his coaching ‘family’
PAUL Pogba struts off the lawns at Carrington after another session. Just as he sits down at his locker and removes his snood, one of his team-mates sits beside him. They have not played together this season but they go way back.
Michael Carrick, the skipper, shows him a video on his phone and explains how Pogba can break from midfield and make the difference in the opposition penalty area. ‘You can kill,’ he repeats.
In one gesture, you get an insight into what Carrick the coach will be like.
As a former team-mate of Frank Lampard’s, who made his name for arriving into the box at just the right time under Jose Mourinho, Carrick was well placed to offer that advice despite never being renowned for scoring goals himself.
That nugget of wisdom proved crucial to United’s remarkable derby comeback – Pogba scoring two goals in 97 crazy seconds in the second half – and that was not the only influence Carrick had on the result.
At half-time as United’s weary players stomped into the dressing room, it was Carrick who led the impassioned team talk with his side 2-0 down.
The 36-year-old previously shared a dressing room with Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney and knew it was now his responsibility to step up, even though he was not even in the match day squad.
Everyone listened – and with good reason. Carrick is one of the few remaining links with the Ferguson era. A fivetime title winner, there is not a major honour in the club game Carrick has not lifted.
Having come into the club as an outsider – a Geordie who made his name in London – Carrick never forgot that family environment he entered at Carrington in 2006 and has helped to maintain it.
His time as a player may be about to come to an end, when he retires at the end of the season, but that influence looks set to continue as a coach.
Following the advice of Sir Alex Ferguson, who started his badges at the age of just 23 as a player, Carrick began his coaching journey before he turned 30.
Mourinho will have taken note. The United boss has a tight circle but he is never adverse to bringing a club hero into it. Carlos Mozer, Steve Clarke, Luis Figo and Aitor Karanka have all benefited from their time under his tutelage.
As early as November, Mourinho revealed there would be a seat on his bench for Carrick if he wanted it after he recovered from his heart procedure.
Loyalty is a huge part of the cult of Mourinho.
“He has a kind of magic. He knows how to take care of his family and his coaching staff,” former assistant Jose Morais previously told M.E.N. Sport. “You follow him as part of his family.” Welcome to the family, Michael.