PLAYER PROFILE

Michael Carrick

Position: Midfield

Height: 6'0

Weight: 11st 10lbs

Date of Birth: 1981-07-28 Wallsend, England

Michael Carrick

The arrival of Michael Carrick at Old Trafford in the summer of 2006 ended a long pursuit of the highly-rated midfield by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

He had been keeping tabs on the Geordie midfielder since his West Ham days and finally got his man when Spurs accepted a bid of £14 million, rising to £18 million on certain conditions, in July 2006.

A product of the famous Wallsend Boys Club in Newcastle, which had produced such stars as Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley, Carrick began his professional career at London club West Ham United. Having previously played as a centre-forward during his Wallsend days, he was converted into a central midfielder by West Ham.

He was a part of the Hammers impressive Youth Team that thrashed Coventry City 9-0 in the FA Youth Cup final, grabbing two goals in the process. After making his debut for the Hammers in a 3-0 win over Bradford City in August 1999, he was twice sent out on-loan during the 1999/2000 season, to Swindon Town and Birmingham City.

The following season saw him break into the Hammers first team squad to become a regular starter for the club and also pick up a nomination for PFA Young Player of the Year. The 2002/2003 season was a difficult one for Carrick which saw his appearances restricted by injuries and eventually led to West Ham's relegation from the Premiership.

Unlike several of West Ham's other players, Carrick decided to remain at Upton Park despite dropping into the Football League. He helped the club to gain a place in the play-offs but the club lost the final 1-0 to London rivals Crystal Palace.

With Carrick keen to return to the Premiership as soon as possible, he moved across London to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £2.75 million. He enjoyed two successful seasons at Spurs under manager Martin Jol, increasing his reputation as an excellent passer. After impressive performances in England's build up games before the World up in 2006, he joined Manchester United in July 2006.

Wearing the number 16 shirt previously worn by Manchester United legend Roy Keane, Carrick has a difficult act to follow. While he began life at Old Trafford slowly, his performances over the course of 2006/07 showed that he was another astute signing by Ferguson, with some excellent performances and even a fair few goals, not something that had previously been part of his repertoire.