Official: Man Utd appoint Michael Carrick as interim head coach

Tom Weber

• 13 Jan 2026 13:24 CST
• 4 min read

News

Manchester United have officially announced the appointment of Michael Carrick as their new interim head coach.

The 44-year-old replaces fellow club legend Darren Fletcher in the Old Trafford dugout after an unsuccessful two-game interim spell in which the Red Devils drew with Burnley and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton.

Fletcher will return to his role as head coach of the U18s, while Carrick will take charge of the senior side until the end of the season. It will be his second proper (and third overall) spell as acting Man Utd boss.

Carrick took charge of three games in late 2021, winning twice and drawing once. His managerial style earned him praise from then-Red Devil Cristiano Ronaldo, who predicted the former midfielder to become a top-class coach.

So far, Carrick hasn't quite managed to achieve this. A stint at Middlesbrough started off in promising fashion but ultimately ended in disappointment and resulted in his sacking after last season. He had been out of a job since.

Carrick named Man Utd interim boss

He has now once again returned to Man Utd after convincing club chiefs that he would be a better interim option than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Old Trafford club needed a head coach after Ruben Amorim's explosive exit on 5 January.

The Portuguese was sacked after publicly thundering that he should be "manager" and not merely "head coach" and insisting that everyone at Man Utd should do their job properly, which was a clear jibe at director Jason Wilcox, with whom he had a falling out days earlier.

Carrick will now have to steady the ship, but Man Utd are not in a terrible position. They are only one point off Brentford in fifth and three off Liverpool in fourth. Qualifying for the Champions League is a must at this point.

Following the exit from the FA Cup at the weekend, there is no silverware on offer anymore, allowing Carrick and his players to solely focus on the Premier League for the rest of the season.

Unless he shows himself to be a miracle worker, Carrick is not expected to be retained beyond this season. As things stand, Man Utd are looking to make an external, permanent appointment in the summer.

Carrick statement

“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour," Carrick said in an official statement after his appointment.

“I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.

“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.

“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”

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