The 36-year-old is recovering from heart surgery and recently rejoined first-team training.
Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata used his blog to pay tribute to teammate Michael Carrick, who is convalescing from heart surgery, and expressed his happiness over the Englishman’s swift recovery.
“I want to dedicate a few lines to Michael Carrick, a great team-mate who has gone through a few complicated weeks and now he’s ready to help the team again from the pitch,” Mata penned.
“We are very happy for that. He’s a great professional and his behaviour is an example to us. I’m sure that his elegant football will help us a lot during the rest of the season,” the diminutive Spaniard expressed.
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The Manchester United captain released a statement on Friday night saying he has undergone a heart procedure called a cardiac ablation and that he will soon be available for selection.
United manager Jose Mourinho confirmed after the Red Devils’ 1-0 win over Brighton on Saturday that he has offered has offered the 36-year-old a coaching job after the current season.
“Michael, as a person, is more important than Michael as a player,” the Portuguese stated.
“We gave him the time to relax, to recover, to feel confident, to make the decision (when he) wants to play, (when he) wants to stop.”
After impressing with fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, Carrick was snapped up by the Red Devils in 2006 and has since then transformed into a dependable midfielder whose performance never dipped.
The elegant midfielder has played for United over 300 times and is held in high regard by all at the club. He’s won the Premier League (five times), the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the EFL Cup (three times), the FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Community Shield (six times) in a glittering career with the English giants.
“He knows that my coaching staff has the chair for him if he wants. When he wants the chair, it is there in the office for him. I want that, the board wants that and the owner wants that. So Michael is in a comfortable situation. His future will be with us.”
“But he wants to be a player until the end of the season and now he feels confident to be back and now he is training back with us. So (he is) one more option for us, we need players and Michael wants to play so I am happy with that,” the 57-year-old Mourinho added.
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