Matheus Cunha didn’t think twice when asked if Michael Carrick can still play in the Premier League.
Matheus Cunha recently shared his thoughts on whether Michael Carrick could still play in the Premier League, even though the former Manchester United midfielder retired eight years ago. Carrick, who was 36 when he played his last professional game against Watford in 2018, often joins training sessions at Carrington.
On his first day as caretaker manager in January, Carrick impressed everyone by starting a passing drill with the same accuracy and speed he used to show at Old Trafford. Matheus Cunha talked about this moment during Sky Sports’ YouTube ‘fact or fiction’ segment when asked if Carrick could still play in the Premier League.
Cunha was sure. He quickly said it was a fact and explained why. “Michael Carrick can still play in the Premier League? That’s a fact,” he said. “In the first training session, he came in and started passing the ball with the midfield. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s in great shape!’ He definitely can still play. He might miss some long balls now, but his skill between the lines is amazing.”
Cunha also praised how Carrick gets involved in training. “He comes in, plays, teaches the midfield, and sets an example. Everyone is impressed.”
Talking about Carrick’s coaching style, current Everton midfielder Hayden Hackney spoke about working with him at Middlesbrough. Hackney told SPORTbible in March how Carrick focused on perfecting passing. “If we sent long balls from behind, he would stop the drill and say, ‘No, keep the ball nice and flat.’ Then he would show us the perfect pass. We just weren’t good enough to do it every time.”
When asked if Carrick’s success at United surprised him, Hackney said no. “He’s very attack-minded. He always said, ‘The best form of defence is attack.’ In tough games, he’d bring on another forward to finish strong, which gave us confidence. I’m not surprised at what he’s doing now.”