Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Michael Carrick will ‘100%’ manage Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed current Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick to manage Manchester United in the future.

Carrick has done an exceptional job at Middlesbrough, taking his side from 21st in the Championship to a well-respected fourth-place finish to end up in the play-offs.

Carrick worked under Solskjaer as a coach and later went on to manage the Red Devils on an interim basis when the Norwegian was sacked late into 2021.

There is still some time until Carrick would even be presented with the opportunity to manage Man United with current manager, Erik ten Hag, having a deal that expires in three years.

The Dutchman has gotten off to a good start at Manchester United. Ten Hag ended Man United’s six-year trophy drought when he won the League Cup earlier this year and is close to guiding his side to a top-four finish.

What Solskjaer said about Carrick

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Solskjaer said: “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.

“I don’t like to compare myself to many people, but I can see myself in Michael and Michael in me. I’m not saying that I could pick a pass like he could, but the two of us are calm and reflective.

“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.

“If you see the interview I did when I left the club, I got emotional when I started talking about Michael. That’s when I got really emotional. We don’t spend too many hours in our private lives together but it was pure respect for him.

“Michael is a man of value and principles, a big family man, but his knowledge is also second to none. He’s had Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as managers, and he’s played with the best players in the world. He’s a winner but he’s still in control of his emotions.

“I cannot see him not being the Manchester United manager.”