‘He knows ball’ say fans as Bruno Fernandes reveals ‘underrated’ Man Utd legend he wishes he’d played with

BRUNO FERNANDES has expressed his dream to have played alongside underrated Manchester United legend Michael Carrick.

Carrick, who is now manager at Championship side Middlesbrough, retired from football at Old Trafford in 2018 – two years before Fernandes’ arrival.

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Bruno Fernandes said he wished he had the chance to play with Michael Carrick[/caption]

PA:Empics Sport

Carrick retired from football at Man Utd in 2018 two years before Fernandes’ arrival[/caption]

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Carrick is now the manager at Championship side Middlesbrough[/caption]

United’s captain Fernandes joined the club in January 2020 from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth £67million.

And while Carrick was in charge of the Portuguese midfielder for three games as caretaker manager – after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s departure in 2021 – they never played alongside each other.

When Fernandes was asked what United legend he wanted to play with he said: “Michael Carrick, because I loved him. I love the way he plays.

“I think as a No6, someone that gives a lot of balls to the players playing up front, like between the lines.

“He was a player that was not much in the spotlight, but he was really important for the club.”

Carrick is one of England’s most decorated players of all time.

During his 12 years at United, he was used as an emergency centre-back under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. 

And won five Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, one Champions League and three EFL Cups.

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In January 2018, Carrick accepted an offer to join the club’s first-team coaching staff after his retirement at the end of the 2017–18 season – after making 464 appearances for United.

In December 2021 he left United with immediate effect after the club appointed an interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

The Englishman then went on to become Middlesbrough boss ten months later when the Championship side were 21st in the league on the brink of relegation.

But Carrick would win 16 of his first 23 games as the club began to climb the table.

He then guided his side to a 4th-place finish but Middlesbrough lost in the play-off semi-finals to Coventry.

And this season Carrick led Middlesbrough to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup for the first time since 2004.

The Yorkshire side were victorious in the first leg against Chelsea winning 1-0.

However, they were thrashed 6-1 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg leading them to crash out of the competition.