The player turned coach deserves more recognition, according to the Red Devils defender
Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw believes Michael Carrick was “massively underrated” and could still play in the Premier League.
Carrick, now 38 and an assistant coach at Old Trafford, retired as a player in 2018 having started his career at West Ham before moving to Tottenham and ultimately United in 2006.
The midfielder played over 300 games for the Red Devils, winning five Premier League titles, along with the Champions League and Europa League, in the process.
Despite being a regular for United, Shaw believes Carrick’s contributions were overlooked and that he could still do a job in the side today.
“I’ve got a little feeling that David Beckham is maybe a little bit underrated, but the one that stands out for me is Michael Carrick,” Shaw was quoted by Manchester United’s official website.
“I think not just for United – he was massively underrated for England as well. When I first joined United, he was getting a bit older but he still had so much quality. He’s still got it now, to be fair.
“I genuinely think he could still play in the Premier League, based on what we sometimes see from him in training.
“I don’t think he got the recognition he deserved and when people do look back at important players for United, you look at all the trophies he won, and he was a key member of the team in that era.”
Despite his strong club record, Carrick only made 34 appearances for England as he struggled to establish himself in a side that was dominated by the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
“He was so underused by England,” Shaw added. “He’s not just one that would sit in front of the back four and clean things up – for me he was one of the best midfield passers I’ve ever seen, honestly.
“The way he could play the ball through the lines or in behind, he wasn’t afraid to try things. He was one of the best of his time in his position and if people have a proper think about it, they’ll see that he was competing with amazing, world-class players like Lampard and Gerrard at the time.
“I think Carras deserves to be in that bracket too, and I’m not just saying this because he’s my coach now!”
Current Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata recently echoed Shaw’s admiration of Carrick, declaring that he would have been appreciated more in Spain than he was in England.
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