Michael Carrick can play a ‘vital role’ in helping to explain to new signings what it means to play for United, according to Mike Phelan.
Carick remains on the coaching set-up at Old Trafford following the sacking of Jose Mourinho yesterday, with Phelan returning as assistant manager under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In an interview with the MEN in the summer Phelan was full of praise for Carrick’s work at United and what he could offer to players at the club.
“To be honest, the best way for players to learn is not just playing or practising in training but being around people who lived through it and experienced what they are going through,” he said.
“I was fortunate to be a player, coach and assistant manager. You encounter issues that weren’t necessarily brand new to you. You’ve gone through those emotions so it seems quite normal to you, what it means to be a player at Manchester United – the scrutiny, the demands, the pressure. All that kind of stuff.
“I think Manchester United have done that with ambassadorial roles and they have now got someone coaching in that environment who can help calm things down.”
Asked what United could expect from Carrick as a coach, Phelan added: “To not necessarily change the wheel all the time. He is someone who knows all about success for elite players and knows what Manchester United means.
“It will be vital not just for Paul Pogba but new players coming in. What the club stands for, what it takes to be well-respected as a Manchester United player, how to conduct yourself.
“Paul understands that as a junior coming in from the academy. He needs to take that time to pull back, to realise that dream. It’s a great dream.”
Phelan, who has had a storied career at the club having been a player, coach and assistant manager at United, also explained the difficulties Pogba might have faced since his return to Old Trafford.