Nicky Butt, a former Manchester United player, has reasserted his claim that Michael Carrick told him "management's not for me" before accepting the manager's position at Old Trafford. Carrick, a club legend, returned to United in January following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
Despite leading United to a third-place finish last season, Carrick is currently facing significant pressure due to the team's poor start, having secured only seven points from their opening nine matches. Butt's initial comments, made last month, suggested Carrick would only consider managing Manchester United, even after his dismissal from Middlesbrough in June 2025. Carrick had previously dismissed these remarks.
Speaking on the "Football Uncensored" podcast, Butt detailed a conversation he had with Carrick during a padel tournament. "I was playing in a padel tournament with Michael, he’s my doubles partner, and I was talking about football and Middlesbrough," Butt explained. "I had a beer after it, and I was like 'so what’s your plans mate? What do you think you’re going to do when you get back into management?' He said 'no, it’s all over the show, it’s hard work – however, if the big one came up, obviously I would take it."
Butt clarified his position: "And the big one did come up, and he took it, and that wasn’t a case of me saying Michael didn’t want the Man United job, it was a case of he didn’t want a job. He didn’t want to go driving up and down the M6 all day when he’s got kids at home for no reward. But if the big one comes, which I assume was Man United, then he’d take it. That’s the facts of the conversation that I had with him."
When questioned about Butt's statements prior to United's draw with Leeds, Carrick responded, "I definitely wouldn't be here if that was the case, would I? At this stage, it's the best job and the best role I could possibly have. I feel a real privilege of being in this position and a real responsibility, but equally a drive of wanting to make a difference and having success here. I'm loving it. I love the situation when actually you get some sort of struggle and you've got to find a way out of it. I actually enjoy that because that's part of what drives you to have success. If you're not ready for that and you can't do anything that's difficult, then you're never going to be great. So we've got to work our way through it, and I'm enjoying it as we go."
Butt's initial claim was made on "The Good, The Bad & The Football" podcast, where he stated, "I was with Michael before he got the Man United job and spoke to him about management. He went 'no it's not for me, it's too much, my head's all over the show, I'd only do it for the big job. The big job is Man United'. So because that club's gone to him he's naturally going to go and do it. I think when he's gone through that door, put aside last year because like Scholesy said that's totally different to this year, I think he's realised he's gone into a club that's different to the club that he knew and was at. But these lads won't turn down Man United. Ole Gunnar (Solskjaer) wouldn't turn it down. Roy Keane might never turn that down. When that club comes calling and you've been at that football club, you don't turn it down."
Manchester United and Carrick are facing a critical week with upcoming home matches against Roma and Aston Villa before the international break.