Manchester United assistant manager Michael Carrick outlines his coaching ambitions

Carrick says he wants to eventually go the distance in a new career, having retired from playing earlier this year

Michael Carrick says he wants to eventually be a manager in his own right, and has thanked Jose Mourinho for giving him the opportunity to start his steps as a coach at Manchester United.

Speaking in an interview with The Independent to publicise his new autobiography ‘Between The Lines’, the 37-year-old said he wants to eventually go the distance in a new career, having retired from playing earlier this year.

Carrick was immediately appointed as part of Mourinho’s coaching, the former midfielder’s attitude and intelligent tactical mind immediately impressing both players and key figures at Old Trafford. He and Kieran McKenna are already said to be two of the most popular coaches at the club, and Carrick is enjoying the role despite this season’s difficulties.

Asked whether he wants to be a manager in his own right in the long term, Carrick said: “Yeah, at this stage, I would say, yeah, but I'm not blasé to think I'm going to be a manager, you know.

“I'm starting out now, bottom rung of the ladder really, albeit the manager Jose's given me an unbelievable opportunity to be at United now, but I think it's a step by step, I'm not getting carried away.

“But of course, it's like when you set out to be a footballer, you know. You set out to be a footballer, when you're young, and you think I'd love to do that. There's plenty of things along the way that could change that, and it's the same thing now with being a manager, it's time will tell how it goes.”

Michael Carrick is making the move into management (Action Images via Reuters) (Reuters)

In the book itself, Carrick states: “I have to put in the same hard work I did as a player. A decent player doesn’t automatically make a decent manager, I know that. But I will do everything I possibly can.”