Michael Carrick is the new Manchester United interim manager and it’s clear the former Middlesbrough boss has a very strong working relationship with one “terrific” player
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United return has seen him reunited with a winger who played under him during his brief stint as caretaker manager in late 2021.
Amad, 22, spent the early stages of the 2021/22 campaign at Old Trafford after his move from Atalanta. Carrick was part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching set-up when the winger arrived, before leaving in December 2021 when Ralf Rangnick took charge as interim manager.
The 2008 Champions League winner has returned to Carrington under similar circumstances. Nevertheless, he’s encountered Amad since departing United, due to the player’s loan stint at Sunderland. The pair found themselves on opposing sides in a north-east derby when the Black Cats secured a 2-0 victory over Carrick’s Middlesbrough in January 2023.
Amad scored to clinch the Championship win in that match, drawing acclaim from his former assistant boss, reports the Mirror. “He does what he does,” Carrick commented at the time. “He’s really talented, Amad. Good in tight spaces and does what he does with the ball.”
“For the goal, that’s what he brings and I think that’s what he’s maybe brought a bit more is his end product from when I knew him when he was a little bit younger a couple of years ago. He’s doing really well.”
Carrick went on to say he knew Amad “very well” due to their shared time at United and hailed him as a “terrific footballer”. Most notably, the manager remarked that the Ivorian had “jumped up a level again” since their last close collaboration.
Amad had previously spoken warmly about Carrick and the mark he left at Old Trafford. Upon joining United in early 2021, the winger was delighted to swap from his favoured No.19 to the No. 16 jersey because it had been donned by club legends including Carrick and Roy Keane.
Yet only one of those icons was mentioned in Amad’s tribute when he declared: “When I was told that I was getting the No. 16 shirt, I was happy because I know that Michael Carrick had previously worn that shirt for a long time and so it is a number worn by a legend of the club. So I have to respect the number and the players who wore it before me.”
It might be viewed as another mark of respect that Amad has retained the No. 16 ever since. This is despite his enhanced status in the squad likely offering him opportunities to change if he wished.
Amad is anticipated to be ready for Saturday’s Manchester derby after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. Ivory Coast were knocked out of the tournament following a 3-2 loss to Egypt, allowing the forward to get back to his club duties.
Ruben Amorim frequently deployed Amad as a right wing-back prior to his departure for the AFCON, causing him to miss United’s last six games.
Now, all eyes are on Carrick and the strategy he’ll adopt for his debut against Manchester City, but it’s clear Amad is one player who has made a positive impression on him ahead of the crucial match and is sure to be prominent in his plans.