Michael Carrick names the Man Utd player who had him constantly saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m playing with him’

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Michael Carrick played with many fantastic players during his time at Manchester United – but there was one that the English midfielder told Rio Ferdinand that he couldn’t believe he got to share the pitch with.

Michael Carrick was the epitome of a classy midfielder when he played for the Red Devils. A real Rolls-Royce, the former England international was a Rodri-esque figure in the centre of the pitch.

Since retiring, Carrick has gone into management, but was sacked by Middlesbrough, and has even been tipped as an Ange Postecoglou replacement before Thomas Frank took over.

Carrick also makes podcast appearances, most recently with former teammates Rio Ferdinand, where he spoke very highly of another one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest players.

Michael Carrick on Paul Scholes

Of course, Paul Scholes is a name lauded by many as one of the greatest to ever grace the game, and Carrick has also noted that.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Rio asked Michael, “What was it like playing with Scholes?” to which he responded: “I think I used to ring my brother on the way back from training most days during those first two or three years, and I’d almost say, ‘I can’t believe I’m playing with him [Scholes].’

“I’d always say, ‘You should have seen what Scholesy did today,’ or ‘How good was that today?’ things like that.

“Every time, I was literally looking at him thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m playing next to you.'”

Ferdinand thinks Carrick was smarter than Scholes in a footballing sense, but the reason why the pair flourished is because their games complemented each other perfectly.

Carrick and Scholes were a dream partnership at Manchester United

Carrick went on to praise the incredible partnership he shared with Scholes, saying: “For whatever reason, it just worked; it clicked.

“I always felt with Scholesy, a lot of midfielders might do it, but when you passed to him, you’d get the ball back. It was almost like playing a 2v2 in the middle of the pitch.

“And that’s exactly how it felt. It didn’t feel like a big pitch – it felt like it was just me and him against their midfielders.”

This was a battle the duo often won, with their mastery in midfield driving an outstanding win rate whenever they played together.

Two of England’s greatest ever midfielders – that’s for sure – and two individuals that Ruben Amorim could desperately do with at Manchester United in the present day.