With the imminent sale of Wayne Rooney to his boyhood club Everton, Jose Mourinho will need an experienced player who should lead the team in the 2017/2018 campaign, and he decided to award the armband to Michael Carrick.
The English midfielder already served as a vice-captain behind Rooney and his influence on his teammates is probably the biggest reason why Mourinho selected him as Rooney’s successor. Carrick signed a one-year extension during the last season and will stay at the club until the upcoming one ends, and although he is not an essential part of the squad, the former Tottenham player deserves the new role.
The Influence
The 35-year-old midfielder joined United in 2006 and played in over 450 matches so far, while the previous season, Carrick recorded 38 appearances in all competitions. He had a pass success rate of 89.8%, which is good enough for the player who is in his mid-30s as he clearly showed that his manager still can rely on him.
Carrick is the longest serving Man United’s player behind Rooney and his importance at the club is evident, as the club honored him and organized his testimonial match last month at Old Trafford. It is not known whether will Carrick retires after this season or will continue to play football, but one thing is sure – it will be his last in the red shirt, and this is a significant achievement for the midfielder who represented England on 34 occasions.
The Future
Jose Mourinho also stated that Ander Herrera would serve as Carrick’s No. 2 following his excellent last season in which he was named the Players’ Player of the Year. Nobody could predict that the Spaniard can wear the armband since his arrival from Athletic Bilbao a few years ago, but he emerged as a new team leader and will be the new No. 1 in a year.
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