Earlier this week former West Ham United and England midfielder Michael Carrick announced his decision to retire at the end of this season. This piece looks back at the Academy graduate’s impressive career.
Michael Carrick was born on the 28th July 1981 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear and was part of West Ham’s FA Youth Cup winning side in 1999, scoring twice in the second leg of the Final as the Hammers beat Coventry 6-0 on the night and 9-0 on aggregate. He made his first-team debut four days before his 18th birthday, on 24th July 1999 in a 1-1 draw away at Jokerit of Finland in the second leg of the Intertoto Cup third round. Carrick had a month-long loan spell at Swindon before a similar stint at Birmingham. He returned to Upton Park to score his first goal for Harry Redknapp’s Hammers in a 5-0 win over Coventry on the 22nd April 2000.
Carrick became a regular in the centre of midfield in 2000/01, scoring his only goal of the season in a 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa. A tall, elegant, cultured midfielder with a fine range of passing, Carrick made his England debut in May 2001 as a substitute in a 4-0 friendly win over Mexico – to date, he has won 34 caps for his country, without scoring. He was part of the squad for both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups but only played one game at a major tournament.
With Glenn Roeder now in charge, Carrick was on the scoresheet twice in 2001/02, scoring the Hammers’ consolation in a 7-1 defeat at Blackburn and, more positively, in a 2-1 home win over Chelsea. Despite the joy of scoring in a 2-0 home win over Tottenham in March 2003, Carrick and the Hammers experienced the agony of relegation in 2002/03.
The 22-year-old stayed with the Hammers for their first season in the second tier as Alan Pardew eventually took over the managerial reigns – he was voted by supporters as runner-up to Matthew Etherington for the 2003/04 Hammer of the Year award and was also named in the PFA First Division Team of the Year. His last goal for the club came on the 17th January 2004 in a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United and his final appearance for the Hammers came in the 1-0 Play-Off Final defeat to Crystal Palace in Cardiff on 29th May 2004.
Too good for the Championship and with a lack of top-level football threatening to curtail his impressive development, Carrick returned to the Premier League in August 2004 – Arsenal, Everton, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Portsmouth all showed interest before Tottenham eventually won the race for his signature, paying around £3m for his services. Carrick had scored six goals in 159 appearances for West Ham United – all of these goals can be viewed in my video below.
Carrick made his Tottenham debut on 18th October 2004 as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat at Portsmouth. He was often overlooked by manager Jacques Santini before emerging as a regular starter after the appointment of Martin Jol. His first full start for Tottenham was also Jol’s first game in charge of the club away to Burnley in the League Cup on 9th November 2004.
Carrick scored his first Tottenham goal on 3rd December 2005, netting the winner in a 3-2 home win over Sunderland. He scored his second and final goal for the club on 8th April 2006 in a 2-1 home win over Manchester City. Carrick was one of ten Tottenham players who fell ill at a hotel just before their final game of the season away to West Ham on 7th May 2006 as the players suffered from apparent food poisoning after a dodgy lasagne. He managed to play in the game but lasted just 63 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to his former club which saw North London rivals Arsenal beat them to fourth place in the league and the final qualification spot for the Champions League. It turned out to be Carrick’s final appearance for Tottenham – after two goals and 75 appearances for Spurs, he moved to Manchester United in July 2006 for an initial fee of £14m, potentially rising to £18.6m.
Carrick made his Red Devils debut in a 3-0 win at Charlton on the 23rd August 2006 and scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 home victory over Aston Villa on the 13th January 2007. He scored twice in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final as the Red Devils impressively swept Roma aside 7-1 on the night. His first season at Old Trafford culminated in winning the Premier League title as Carrick won his first major honour at senior level (Intertoto Cup aside…).
Manchester United retained their Premier League crown the following season, with Carrick scoring against his old club as the Hammers were beaten 4-1 at Old Trafford in May 2008. Further success was to follow as Carrick helped the Red Devils beat Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League Final, a night which saw Academy graduates Carrick, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard Junior play on European football’s biggest stage – the Geordie midfielder converted his side’s second penalty of the shoot-out. Carrick played in the Champions League Final again the following season but his side were defeated 2-0 by Barcelona and the Catalan giants beat Carrick’s team once more in the Champions League Final of 2011.
At the end of 2012/13, Carrick was voted Manchester United’s Players’ Player of the Year and was named in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award but Tottenham’s Gareth Bale claimed the prize. To date, Carrick has won five Premier League titles, six Community Shields, three League Cups, one Champions League, one Europa League, one FIFA Club World Cup and one FA Cup in his time at Old Trafford. Now 36, Carrick is retiring as current vice-captain of Manchester United and has scored 24 goals in 463 appearances for the club in all competitions at the time of writing.
In my opinion, Michael Carrick has been a special player. From the first time I saw him live in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup Final in 1999, Carrick has always been a class above. However, under-appreciation has followed Michael through his career. At West Ham, I remember some supporters used to complain that he didn’t ‘get stuck in’ in midfield – this ignorant attitude was oblivious to the fact that, on many occasions, Michael didn’t need to tackle – his footballing brain often intercepted the ball before the need to tackle would arise. His range of passing was simply stunning – always looking for a forward pass, he was pinpoint over five or fifty yards. His midfield peers, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard both earned over 100 caps for their country – Michael didn’t even make 40. Jordan Henderson already has two more caps than Carrick won in his career.
The age-old conundrum for England at international level was always how to fit Lampard and Gerrard into an England side together without curtailing their attacking instincts – the fact that the opportunity to play Michael Carrick behind the pair of them was ignored by successive England managers is simply a crime. He could have been England’s version of Italy’s Andrea Pirlo or Spain’s Xavi. It is indicative of English football that Carrick would probably have won many more international caps had he been playing for another ‘top’ nation where his talents would have been more recognised and valued. This lack of appreciation at international level was tempered by Michael’s success at club level – he won every trophy going in domestic and European competition. It’s just a shame he couldn’t challenge for them with the Hammers.
I’m sure West Ham Till I Die readers will join me in wishing Michael a happy retirement.