Jadon Sancho’s opinion of Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick was made perfectly clear when a private chat he’d had was revealed
Jadon Sancho has already privately expressed his views on Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick. The 44-year-old was named as United’s temporary boss last week until the end of the season, stepping into the shoes of the recently dismissed Ruben Amorim.
Last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City was his first game of this spell but not his first in charge of United. In 2021, he took over after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked before the halfway point in the season.
Former England international Carrick took the reins for three matches before Ralf Rangnick’s appointment, securing two wins and a draw. One of his players was Sancho, at the time a relatively new face at Old Trafford having joined for £73million just months earlier.
While Sancho’s time at Old Trafford has proved challenging on the whole, Carrick made a lasting positive impact on the winger. This was despite the pair only working together for a short period of time.
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This impact became evident when Carrick took over as Middlesbrough boss in October 2022. One of his players that season, Chuba Akpom, revealed what his friend Sancho told him about the manager.
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Akpom, whose 28 goals that season made him the top scorer in the second tier, told club media: “No [I wasn’t concerned about Carrick’s arrival], I was actually really excited because a good friend of mine is Jadon Sancho at Manchester United and he had nothing but good things to say about the manager, so I kind of knew already what to expect from the gaffer. But I didn’t know it’d go this well.”
Following his impressive performances, Akpom earned a major transfer to Ajax that summer. Carrick stayed on Teesside until 2025, though, when he was sacked after a 10th-place finish in the Championship.
Sancho, meanwhile, has endured difficulties in Manchester under various managers before a falling out with Erik ten Hag resulted in him being loaned back to former club Borussia Dortmund during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign. He briefly returned for the 2024 Community Shield but was soon on the way out again.
Sancho, now 25 years of age, spent last term on loan at Chelsea but saw the Blues pay United £5m to get out of making his switch permanent. The winger has been on loan at Aston Villa since the beginning of this campaign and is anticipated to depart United in the summer when his existing contract runs out.
Whether Carrick will contemplate offering the England international another opportunity remains uncertain, despite previously praising him. “He’s a terrific player, Jadon,” the manager said in 2021.
“He’s never happier than when the ball’s at his feet, he’s trying to create things, going at defenders, linking inside with forwards, creating chances and scoring goals.
“Who’s to say how far he can go? Hopefully he fulfils every little bit of potential that he has. The potential he’s got is massive, if he keeps doing the right things and keeps on the right track, then he’s got a great chance.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
