Manchester United have appointed former player Michael Carrick as their head coach until the end of the season, the club confirmed Tuesday.
Carrick is set to take training for the first time on Wednesday ahead of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 44-year-old, who beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy to the job, will be assisted by former England No. 2 Steve Holland as well as Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion and Jonny Evans.
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Darren Fletcher, caretaker for the past two games, has decided to return to leading the club’s under-18s.
Confirmation of Carrick’s appointment came on Tuesday following a face-to-face meeting with CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox on Thursday and further talks on Monday.
He succeeds Ruben Amorim, who was sacked last week after 14 months as head coach.
The expectation is that United will look to appoint a new noninterim head coach in the summer.
«Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,» Carrick said in a news release.
«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.»
Carrick has done the job before, taking charge for three games during the 2021-22 campaign.
Made caretaker in November 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked, he oversaw wins over Villarreal and Arsenal, and a draw with Chelsea.
He showed himself to be comfortable making big decisions by dropping Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench for the game at Stamford Bridge.
«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,» Carrick added.
«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.»
Carrick stepped away from the coaching staff once Ralf Rangnick was installed as interim boss in November 2021 and a year later took over as Middlesbrough manager in October 2022.
After reaching the playoffs in 2023 and the semifinals of the Carabao Cup in 2024, he was sacked in June 2025 after Middlesbrough finished 10th in the Championship.
Carrick made 464 appearances as a United player between 2006 and 2018, winning the Champions League in 2008 and five Premier League titles.
He joined the backroom staff at Old Trafford immediately following his retirement in 2018 and served as a coach under both Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer.
Sources have told ESPN that the former England midfielder won the role ahead of Solskjaer, in part, because of his reputation as a hands-on coach.
«Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United,» Wilcox said.
«He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success.»
Carrick’s first game of his latest spell will be against Manchester City at Old Trafford this weekend. It’s followed by a daunting trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Jan. 25.
He takes over with United seventh in table, three points off the top four.
