Michael Carrick

Written by Dave Allan

England Player Profiles

Michael Carrick was born in Wallsend in the North East on 28th July 1981 and was soon regarded as a hot prospect with plenty of scouts eager to take him back to their respective clubs.

Carrick and his family decided that his career would be best served with West Ham and despite growing pains in early career when he struggled to fill his 6ft 1 in frame he was successful. Carrick won the FA Youth cup in 1999 along with England team-mate Joe Cole.

As ever the Hammers sold the family silver and it was Tottenham who took him in 2004 to help develop his career. At this stage Spurs were still a work in progress and the midfielder‘s form was rather mixed, however there were always signs of Carrick’s excellence even in quieter games.

Few turn down the chance to play for Manchester United and when Sir Alex Ferguson came calling it was a no-brainer for Carrick to make the £14m move to Old Trafford. Carrick has subsequently won nearly every major team honour in his time with the Red Devils. He averages around 30 games a season for his club which leaves him still relatively fresh.

For England, Carrick has slotted into midfield usually to cover for injuries and although he has good control and can pick a pass he does not dominate the middle of the park in the same way other squad members perhaps can. Carrick is likely to provide cover for Gareth Barry in the holding position in midfield given the recent failures of Tom Huddleston and James Milner to impress.
 

| More...

Comments (0)