Michael Carrick: Manchester United’s midfield metronome
Hailed as the "complete player" by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernández, Michael Carrick has continued to control Manchester United's midfield beyond his 35th birthday.
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The cultured deep-lying playmaker began his career at West Ham United, winning the 1998-99 FA Youth Cup and establishing himself in the first team the next season.
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A move to Tottenham Hotspur followed, where Carrick played an influential part in Martin Jol's midfield.
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But after two seasons at White Hart Lane, Carrick was lured to United by Sir Alex Ferguson, taking former captain Roy Keane's iconic number 16 shirt.
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Then the sixth most expensive player in the club's history, Carrick has gone on to make over 440 appearances for the Red Devils, playing alongside and against the biggest names in the world.
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The 35-year-old looks back on the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final as the highlight of his storied career, telling CNN it was a feeling he "could never ever replicate."
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Carrick played the entire 120 minutes and beat Petr Cech in the ensuing penalty shootout, going on to lift United's third European Cup and first since 1999.
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"I wouldn't quite get that same feeling, even if I won the Champions League again," says Carrick. "It was just unbelievable."
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Many players including former United teammate Carlos Tevez have been lured by the riches of the Chinese Super League. And while Carrick has always had his feet on the ground, he acknowledges it's something players are increasingly talking about in the dressing room, admitting "it's made a huge impact."
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Carrick's former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is another playing a key part in China's football revolution. "I think managers throughout the game have all commented that it's starting to become a threat because of what it brings," says Carrick. "It's just the nature of the world going forward. Football's changing. Who knows what it's going to bring in the years to come?"
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United captain Wayne Rooney is the latest to be linked to the Chinese Premier League. Carrick says it was "a major boost" his teammate chose to stay, calling him a "legend for the club, no matter what happens from now on in."