Carrick to be offered Old Trafford role

MANCHESTER UNITED’S longestserving player Michael Carrick will be offered a job by the club after he retires. Carrick, 36, has had a minor procedure for an irregular heart rhythm after feeling ‘strange’ during a Carabao Cup tie against Burton on September 20 — his only appearance this season — but still plans to fulfil his current playing contract which runs until the summer.

United manager Jose Mourinho made it clear after United’s 1-0 win against Brighton yesterday that the club had left the decision on Carrick’s future to the player, and promised he will be able to stay at United in some capacity.

‘Michael as a person is more important than Michael as a player,’ said Mourinho. ‘We gave him the time to relax, to recover, to feel confident to make his decision whether he wants to play or stop.

‘He knows from me and my coaching staff we have a chair for him, if he wants, when he wants. The chair for him is in the office — I want that, the board want that, the owners want that.

‘Michael is in a comfortable position, his future is with us. But he wants to play until the end of the season and now he feels confident to be back. So it’s one more option more for us.’

Carrick has played 459 times for United since arriving from Tottenham in the summer of 2006 and won five Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and three League Cups.

He released a statement on Friday saying: ‘I would like to reassure everyone that I’m healthy and back training hard with the team. I’m building up my fitness and aiming to be back in contention for selection soon.’