Michael Carrick Bio Send To Friend  

Carrick's £17m move to Manchester United in the summer of 2006 was long-running and controversial but eventually United got their man and Tottenham Hotspur got their price.

Sir Alex Ferguson had signed a playmaker who dovetailed well with the ageing legs of Paul Scholes and, although his quiet personality matches his unspectacular style, his distribution has been invaluable to United's success and he remains an important squad member for both club and country.

Part of West Ham's legendary 1998-99 youth side, the Geordie had an exceedingly bright future predicted for him as a kid. He is also a former member of the famous Wallsend Boys Club, also attended by Alan Shearer, back in the north east.

A steady player, capable of both a holding or forward role, his size means he is rarely brushed off the ball and his distribution received rave reviews when he broke into the Hammers' midfield at the start of the 2000-01 season, after impressing in loan spells with Swindon Town and Birmingham City.

He was a member of the England squad for the European Under-21 Championships in Slovakia and received the call up to the full squad from Sven Goran Eriksson for a friendly against Spain in February 2001 - although he did not take part in the game and has found competition for places in midfield very strong since.

He was short-listed for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2001-02 and took Bobby Moore's famous number six shirt for the 2002-03 campaign. But it was a season of woe for West Ham, as they struggled from the outset and were eventually relegated.

Despite rumours of an instant transfer back into the Premiership, Carrick remained at Upton Park for 2003-04. He was one of the stars of the side which narrowly missed out on promotion, losing to Crystal Palace in the play-off final, but as the new season was about to begin a whole host of clubs moved in, including Arsenal and Portsmouth.

Eventually he chose to sign for Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £3.5m, signing a four-year contract. At Spurs he prospered under the tutelage of Martin Jol, who entrusted him with a deep-lying midfield role which made use of his passing ability and defensive qualities, which are based around his strong sense of positioning.

As Spurs pushed - unsuccessfully - for a Champions League place in 2005-06 Carrick was the star man and he was rewarded with a place in England's World Cup squad in 2006.

Sir Alex came knocking and Carrick made clear his intentions to join United, which he did after a drawn-out transfer saga. He soon became an integral part of the side and his place in the squad ensured United were able to challenge on all fronts - as they won back-to-back Premier League crowns and the Champions League in 2008.

Fulfilling a similar role for England, Carrick's presence in the squad ensures that there is always a high quality performer ready to step in if the established first-teamers are injured.