Wayne Rooney has made it clear who he believes should take charge of Manchester United on a long-term basis next season, insisting there is only one obvious choice.
The former United captain is fully backing Michael Carrick to be handed the role permanently after an impressive spell as interim boss. Carrick has enjoyed a strong run, winning seven of his first ten games, and has quickly transformed both the team’s results and overall performances.
Initially, the plan at Old Trafford was for Carrick to oversee the team only until the end of the campaign. However, his impact has complicated matters for INEOS, as growing support from fans and pundits continues to build in his favour. The team now looks on course to secure a Champions League spot, further strengthening his case.
Carrick’s chances have also been boosted by the withdrawal of high-profile candidates like Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti from the race. Meanwhile, former midfielder Paul Scholes has also weighed in by suggesting his ideal candidate for the job.
For Wayne Rooney, though, the decision should be straightforward. He highlighted Carrick’s personality, calm approach, and deep understanding of the club as key reasons behind the turnaround. Rooney believes the players are now performing with greater confidence, unity, and quality, making it unnecessary to consider a change.
He also pointed to Carrick’s outstanding record, noting that his win rate after this number of matches is among the best the club has seen, reinforcing his argument that the job should already be his.
Former striker Michael Owen shares the same opinion, dismissing any suggestion that Carrick should not continue in the role. He argued that United have spent years searching for stability, and now that they appear to have found a manager who is getting consistent results and improving players, it would make little sense to start over again.
Owen further stressed that even if things were to go wrong in the future, the club would still have the option to make a change. In his view, giving Carrick a proper chance is a far more sensible approach than risking another reset after finally seeing progress.
