calmness

Wayne Rooney says caretaker head coach Michael Carrick will “steady the ship” at Manchester United, but fans shouldn’t be fooled by his calm persona.

United confirmed that Carrick would take charge until the end of the season – succeeding Ruben Amorim – on Tuesday.

Rooney and Carrick were team-mates at Old Trafford, playing together on 366 occasions and winning five Premier League titles together.

“Michael’s great fun. He is a great character, but don’t be fooled by how calm he looks,” Rooney said on the latest edition of BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.

“He can have fun as well, but make no mistake, he’d be going in there now with full focus.”

Carrick made 464 appearances for United across a 12-year spell and had a three-game stint as caretaker manager at the club in 2021, winning two games and drawing one.

The 44-year-old managed Middlesbrough between 2022 and 2025.

“It is probably the obvious choice really because I don’t think there are any top, top managers available at the minute.

“I think it is the right choice at this moment in time.

“It is a difficult task of course. Where Manchester United are at the minute is not a good place and Michael has to go in and steady the ship.”