(Football news) Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has been appointed the new Middlesbrough head coach, replacing Chris Wilder who was dismissed on October 3rd after five defeats in 11 games. Middlesbrough are currently just a point above the relegation zone in the Sky Bet Championship and will need an instant change in fortunes under the new leadership. Carrick will be joined by Jonathan Woodgate as first-team coach while further backroom staff appointments will be done in the foreseeable future. 

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has described Carrick as “the perfect fit” for the job when the former midfielder was unveiled. He said “We had identified a number of potential candidates for the vacancy who we spoke with, and were impressed by all, but Michael was the outstanding candidate. Michael has the same values as the club, and we are very much aligned in our ambitions." Carrick’s first game as Boro head coach will be against Preston next Saturday and it will be the 41 year old’s first job as permanent head coach since his retirement in 2018.

Carrick has previously worked under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United and also took over in an interim role for three games following the Norwegian’s sacking. England boss Gareth Southgate, who previously played and managed Middlesbrough recommended Michael Carrick for the head coach role to chairman Steve Gibson and it will be interesting to see how the former midfielder fares in his role. 

During his playing days, Carrick had a reputation for being able to read the game well, his calm, collected and quiet persona brought great consistency throughout his trophy laden career at Old Trafford. Moreover, having worked under a manager of Jose Mourinho’s calibre, Carrick will be hoping to incorporate those lessons into his new head coach role and take Middlesbrough back where they belong, into the Premier League. The 41 year old will be desperate to impress in his first head coach role of his career and how he fares could potentially set the tone for his future ahead.

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