Gary Neville says favourite Manchester United player is Michael Carrick
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Version 0 of 1. Manchester United may be able to field the British record transfer Ángel di María, the England captain Wayne Rooney and the Colombian superstar Radamel Falcao but ask Gary Neville who his favourite player is and he opts for an unassuming 33-year-old midfielder from Wallsend, Michael Carrick. “I love Carrick. I have respect for Carrick. You never hear anyone that’s played with Carrick at Manchester United have a bad word to say about him,” he told the fanzine Stretty News. “Ultimate professional, understanding and loves the club by the way. Don’t get bought into this ‘Michael Carrick doesn’t show passion’ and all that crap. He loves Manchester United. You see him on a team night out when we won the league and he can be the loudest of the lot. So, the idea that Michael Carrick just comes in as a bit of a mouse that does his job unnoticeably is rubbish. “If you look at Louis van Gaal at the start of the season and we were struggling, ask yourself who wasn’t playing? Michael Carrick wasn’t playing. Now he’s playing and the club went on a great unbeaten run. I think he would be first or second on Louis van Gaal’s team-sheet because he brings control and authority. “Manchester United fans get it. I wanted Bryan Robson and someone to run through brick walls and coming out with bandages wrapped around his head. That’s what Manchester United fans want. “But then when you play with Michael Carrick you think there is authority, control, peace. When you are on a football pitch playing against Liverpool or Manchester City, you need peace around you as well. You sometimes don’t want people running around like blue-arse flies. “Scholes and Carrick together was peaceful. It was like going into a bar and hearing a piano playing. It’s relaxing. Listening to some good rock is good and you like that too but sometimes it’s nice to listen to a piano. Carrick’s a piano. There you go, there’s your line.” The Sky commentator was less complimentary about a United defence where he once held a key role, although wearing his England coach’s hat he said he still held out hopes that the “penny would drop” for the centre-halves Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and the Northern Irishman Jonny Evans. “We have a young Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. You would like to think over the next 10 years they will be solid regulars for United and England. “When you are with England and you work with the likes of Smalling or Jones, you hope that a manager comes in and grabs them, plays them, trusts and puts belief in them. So when David Moyes came in last season we thought that would be good news because David likes British players. “This season Louis van Gaal has come in. A great coach and someone that worked all over Europe. He’ll get them good on the ball, good defensively, in good positions to receive the ball, opening their body out and passing forward with composure. “For Luke it’s perfect. The manager believes in attacking full-backs and Luke is fantastic going forward. Luke is powerful, quick and hugely talent. Then you want to get a grip on him and mould him into a world-class player. “Then with the likes of Smalling, Jones and Evans we still have great hopes for that penny to drop. If you remember for many years we had players that potentially had it. Darren Fletcher all of a sudden became the most important person in the team for a few seasons. It was like ‘wow, here we go, he’s a player now’. “There is no doubt that Jones, Smalling and Shaw have talent but they need experience, maturity and injuries to stay clear and they will fly.” |