Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has endorsed caretaker head coach Michael Carrick to keep the club stable amid a volatile era, advising fans not to misinterpret his calm demeanor for a lack of power.
Carrick will replace Ruben Amorim as manager of United until the end of the season, the club stated on Tuesday. The hiring comes as the club struggles to maintain stability both on and off the pitch.
Rooney, who played alongside Carrick at Old Trafford, told BBC Sport on Friday that despite his casual demeanor, the former midfielder will approach the task with absolute seriousness.
“Michael’s great fun. He is a great character, but don’t be fooled by how calm he looks. “He can have fun as well, but make no mistake, he’d be going in there now with full focus,” Rooney said on the latest edition of the BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show.
Rooney and Carrick were teammates and won five Premier League titles together during a hugely successful period at the club.
Carrick made 464 appearances for United over a 12-year period and previously served as caretaker manager in 2021, winning two games and drawing one. The 44-year-old previously managed Middlesbrough from 2022 to 2025.
Rooney felt Carrick was the perfect choice considering the club’s present situation.
“It is probably the obvious choice, really, because I don’t think there are any top, top managers available at the moment,” he said. “I think it is the right choice at this moment in time.
“It is a difficult task, of course. Where Manchester United are at the minute is not a good place, and Michael has to go in and steady the ship.”
Carrick’s temporary appointment has sparked speculation about United’s potential permanent manager in the summer.
Former Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, who recently left Real Madrid, and England manager Thomas Tuchel have both been connected with the post.
“Alonso did incredibly at Leverkusen, and I think you have more chance of him sitting and waiting and hoping with [Liverpool manager Arne] Slot,” Rooney said.
“Tuchel is the one for me. He knows the Premier League, has won trophies, and is doing well for England. Time will tell.”
