Chronicle EditorLONDON. — The accolades, honours and milestones have piled up of late for Michael Carrick, as he clocked up 10 years at Manchester United, broke through the 500 English Premier League soccer games barrier and added an FA Cup triumph to his CV.But such is the positive nature within the 35-year-old there is not a sign of a diminishing appetite as he eyes a sixth Premier League winners’ medal this season. Carrick says this could be his last season at the club and backed world-record signing Paul Pogba to showcase his “very special” talent.
The veteran playmaker, who joined United in 2006, has mainly been used in cup competitions this season under Jose Mourinho, although he did start United’s last league game and is in contention for only his second Premier League start of the campaign this weekend against Arsenal. United may be eight points off the Premier League summit, back in sixth, but Carrick firmly believes this season’s battle will be a tight one but it’s one he certainly wants to have a greater involvement in and the statistics back his claim too.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News, Carrick said: “We want to be at the top challenging. We’ve had some ups and downs along the way, it’s not to say that we’ve given up on winning things just yet – it’s too early for that and we’ve got too much quality and too much of a good team and squad to give up on anything.
“We just don’t feel we’ve got the results our performances have warranted; we know it can change, we’re not up to Christmas yet, there’s still so much to play for and we still believe that when it comes near the end and when it counts we’ll be right up there.”
The midfielder has been involved in just six games under Jose Mourinho but boasts a 100 per cent winning record from those games with a pass completion rate of 96 per cent.
Such accuracy and his advancing years have seen comparisons with Italian Andrea Pirlo but, while flattered, Carrick insists he is just trying to get on with his job.
“Some players peak quite early, some players peak late but to compare individuals can be quite tough. I do feel that experience does help and the understanding of the game does help you,” Carrick added.
“But at the same time you lose the other attributes that you had maybe when you were younger, because physically sometimes it catches up with you. So at the moment I feel good physically, but to compare with different players can be misleading at times.”
But Carrick, who has been hailed by Mourinho as having a “big understanding of the game” also knows he probably won’t be able to play every week and will have to listen to his body more and more.
He said: “I’ve seen it before, many times, with players who’ve come through this club and come towards the end of their careers still being able to make such a big contribution.
“It doesn’t have to be every week, it doesn’t have to be grabbing headlines every week but there’s a contribution to be made and I’ve seen it many times in the time I’ve been here. Hopefully I’ve learned from that and I can give my contribution in some sort of way.”
Carrick’s age, experience and resume means he’s now the elder statesman of the Manchester United dressing room. – Sky Sports.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter