When I came in at United, I'd seen what the manager set, how the players lived their lives, how they trained, how they lived with the expectation and all sorts, playing three games a week at that level. And that is when I thought 'woah - this is different, this is something else.'

Michael Carrick

Categorized in : Thought Something Expectation Three

Paul Scholes is just fantastic. When you play alongside him, you realise what a special talent he is.

Michael Carrick

talent special play

Playing Chelsea is as tough a test as you'll get in Europe these days.

Michael Carrick

tough tests europe

He is a legend and he's going to be remembered for a long time. Just to play alongside him and learn from him has been an absolute pleasure. I think he is a footballer's footballer; he has been at this level for so long.

Michael Carrick

play character thinking

If you like being patted on the back for the good times you have to be prepared to take the bad times.

Michael Carrick

good you bad-times good-times

I think bravery is to get on the ball and be bold enough and confident enough to try things when everyone is looking at you and the pressure is on and people are expecting you to win.

Michael Carrick

looking win you people

If you look at anyone's career, there are times when you have hard times. Even the best players have to struggle through things.

Michael Carrick

best look you struggle

I was never comfortable at United, really.

Michael Carrick

really never united comfortable

It's always been the ones that got away that stick in your memory. You use them for motivation. The ones you win are brilliant and you enjoy them, and then you move on.

Michael Carrick

memory win you enjoy

I think as an older player, there's a kind of natural responsibility or natural role to go around the lads and say a few things. I had it when I came into the team; when you look to the older boys in certain situations to see what they say, see how they act, and see what they expect.

Michael Carrick

look you team responsibility

I was safe, due to my parents, but the Boys' Club was a massive influence.

Michael Carrick

club parents influence safe

The biggest players I've seen are the ones that take the wins well - don't get carried away with them - but the defeats really hurt.

Michael Carrick

away players well hurt

It is something I would like to do, to be a manager, but that's not assuming I will be. It's something that I can strive towards and see where it takes us.

Michael Carrick

something will see i-can

But I still think it's part of the skill of being a coach or manager - to know who responds to what. And some players do respond to a rollicking. If it needs to be done, you have to do it. As a player, that wasn't necessarily me.

Michael Carrick

skill think me you

As a coach or manager, if it was something that had to be done I'd be comfortable doing it but I'd still be true to myself. I wouldn't turn into a madman or start throwing teacups and screaming.

Michael Carrick

true doing start myself

I'm not really one who goes telling people things. I'm quite a reserved character and I keep a lot of things to myself. That's my home life as well. I just try to deal with things and, rightly or wrongly, get on with it.

Michael Carrick

myself home character life

You look at players who are off form and there's a general disappointment, their confidence goes low and their whole demeanour can change. I've seen it hundreds of times but it's difficult to know what's really going on inside someone's mind.

Michael Carrick

you confidence disappointment change

But that's something I enjoyed. That's the game, the challenge, trying to think 'what am I am aiming to do here? Where do I want to pass the ball? What area do I want to get it in?' Then it's instinct... but that's just me, that's how I was made, that's my make-up.

Michael Carrick

challenge i-am game me

In a way, I feel there's a Carrick style of playing.

Michael Carrick

playing feel style way

I loved passing, just feeling the ball against my foot. I think any individual, if you enjoy certain things, you tend to practice it more. That was kind of me.

Michael Carrick

feeling me you enjoy

Some lads were dribblers, some lads just loved scoring goals, whereas I enjoyed and took pride in practicing my passing and that. That's how it was.

Michael Carrick

goals loved some pride