Teddy Sheringham Compares Michael Carrick to Pep Guardiola as Manchester United Legend Backs Permanent Appointment

Manchester United icon Teddy Sheringham has backed the permanent appointment of Michael Carrick as manager at Old Trafford, comparing the former midfielder’s trajectory to that of Pep Guardiola when the Spaniard first took charge at Barcelona.

Carrick, 44, was initially handed the role on an interim basis in January 2026 following the dismissal of Rúben Amorim. Over the course of his temporary tenure, he oversaw 11 wins from 16 matches, a run of form that lifted the Red Devils to third place in the Premier League and secured a return to UEFA Champions League football.

Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe responded to that interim success by awarding Carrick a permanent two-year contract, keeping him at the club through to June 2028. The appointment drew scrutiny from sections of the media, with some pundits questioning whether the upturn in results represented a sustainable shift or merely a short-term “interim bounce.”

Sheringham, speaking to BoyleSports, dismissed those concerns emphatically and pushed back against comparisons to Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s tenure — a period that also began promisingly before deteriorating significantly.

“All this talk that it might all just end up like it did under Ole Gunnar Solskjær… that’s a load of bollocks,” Sheringham said. “You’ve got to give Carrick a chance because he’s earned it. I look at Michael Carrick’s journey to becoming Manchester United manager and it reminds me of how Pep Guardiola got his big break at Barcelona.”

Sheringham elaborated on the parallel, adding: “I look at Michael Carrick in the Manchester United job and I think about Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. He came out of nowhere, didn’t he? And he did very well for Barcelona. Who’s to say Carrick can’t do the same? He’s had that experience at Middlesbrough. Give him the job.”

The reference to Guardiola carries considerable weight in the context of managerial development. Guardiola managed Barcelona B before being elevated to the first team in 2008, going on to win 14 trophies in four seasons — including two UEFA Champions League titles. Carrick, by contrast, managed Middlesbrough in the Championship between 2022 and 2025 before joining United’s coaching setup, providing him with hands-on top-flight management experience at club level prior to his appointment at Old Trafford.

Solskjær’s tenure remains a cautionary reference point for United supporters and decision-makers alike. The Norwegian won his first eight matches as interim manager in 2018, earning a permanent contract shortly thereafter, but was ultimately sacked in November 2021 after a run of poor results left the club seventh in the Premier League.

Carrick won multiple Premier League titles as a player at Old Trafford and was part of the squad that lifted the UEFA Champions League in 2008. His familiarity with the club’s culture and expectations has been cited as a factor in Ratcliffe’s decision to back him permanently.

With the permanent contract in place and the backing of former players such as Sheringham, Carrick’s immediate attention turns to the summer transfer window. The club’s return to Champions League football will require squad reinforcement as United aim to compete on both the domestic and European stage in the 2026-27 season.