Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s feelings revealed after Manchester United’s board did not select him, missing out on the managerial role due to one key condition.
On 14 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Manchester United officially announced Michael Carrick as the team’s head coach on Tuesday night. He will manage the team through the end of the 2025/26 season.
The club’s statement noted that Carrick is a club legend, having appeared in 464 matches for the Red Devils and won major trophies including five Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. He transitioned to a coaching staff role in 2018, working alongside José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
After Solskjær left the position, Carrick served as interim manager and impressed with his performance before taking the managerial role at Middlesbrough for over two and a half years starting October 2022.
Before this decision, reports indicated that Solskjær was also considered by the club. However, The Athletic reported that the former Norwegian manager was understandably disappointed not to be chosen. The key reason was that he desired a long-term managerial position rather than a temporary role until the season’s end.
Although missing this opportunity, reports confirm Solskjær fully supports Carrick. He had said in 2023, “Carrick can be Manchester United’s manager if he wants to.”
Carrick’s coaching team will include Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, and Travis Binnion working alongside him on the sidelines.
Upon accepting the position, Carrick expressed that managing Manchester United is a great honor. He affirmed his confidence in the players’ abilities and aims to restore the team to the standard fans expect, with multiple goals to pursue this season.