Michael Carrick has been appointed Manchester United head coach on a full-time basis, the club have confirmed.
Carrick has been handed a two-year contract with the option for United to extend it by another 12 months as a reward for the job he has done since being installed until the end of the season in January.
The 44-year-old has secured qualification for next season’s Champions League by winning 11 of his 16 games in charge, and United have secured a third place finish third in the Premier League behind Arsenal and Manchester City with two games to go.
United won their final home game of the campaign against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford 3-2, and Carrick will be welcomed in open arms by the travelling fans on the final game of the season at Brighton.
Michael Carrick secured United’s qualification for next season’s Champions League by winning 10 of his 15 games in charge
Carrick pictured with United chief Jason Wilcox after signing a two-year deal
His backroom team of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion are expected to be given new contracts.
‘From the moment that I arrived here 20 years ago, I felt the magic of Manchester United,’ Carrick said.
‘Carrying the responsibility of leading our special football club fills me with immense pride.
‘Throughout the past five months this group of players have shown they can reach the standards of resilience, togetherness and determination that we demand here.
‘Now it’s time to move forward together, with ambition and a clear sense of purpose. Manchester United and our incredible supporters deserve to be challenging for the biggest honours again.’
United have taken their time over making a final decision and weighed up several other candidates, with Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola high among them.
Matheus Cunha was one of several stars to openly back Carrick for the top job
But once it became clear that Iraola had been ruled out of contention last week, the path was clear for chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox to recommend to minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that Carrick be handed the job on a permanent basis.
Talks began with his representatives late last week and were concluded on Saturday.
Carrick, who has been nominated for the Premier League manager of the season award despite being in charge for less than half the campaign, becomes the seventh permanent boss at United in the 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
