Michael Carrick (born 28 July 1981) is an English football coach and former player. He is currently working as a first-team coach at Manchester United. He is one of the most decorated English players of all time and is best known for his 12-year playing career with Manchester United, whom he also captained. Carrick was a central midfielder, but he was used as an emergency centre-back under Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Distinctive features of his play included his inventive distribution of the ball along with his passing and crossing abilities.