Midfielder Michael Carrick began his career at West Ham United, but like many of those who came through the Hammers Academy system, it was almost inevitable that he would seek pastures new after a number of years in the first team. That moment came in 2004 when Carrick departed for Tottenham Hotspur, but no-one could begrudge the talented England international a big-money move after he had spent a year competing in the Championship in an attempt to get the East London outfit back into the top flight.
During his two years at White Hart Lane, Carrick established himself as one of the leading players at the club with his performances attracting the attention of Manchester United, who were eyeing a permanent replacement for Roy Keane after the former skipper had left by mutual consent eight months earlier. An offer, which was swiftly rejected, was tabled early in the summer of 2006 but after six weeks of back-and-forth conversations between the two clubs, a fee was agreed which enabled Carrick to speak with the Old Trafford hierarchy.
Terms were soon agreed and on this day nine years ago, United were able to officially confirm the transfer for a fee that could potentially rise to £18.6m. The figure saw Carrick become the sixth most expensive player at the club, with only Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Juan Sebastian Veron and Rio Ferdinand costing more money.
© Getty Images
After the move was completed, manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that Carrick would be handed the number 16 shirt, which had been worn by Keane. The Scot told MUTV: "He has settled down fine, I spoke to him today. I said to him 'I'm giving you the number 16 jersey' so he was delighted at that. I think that showed great courage because sometimes players are a bit superstitious about things like that but he was keen, and said he would gladly take number 16."
Carrick was forced to miss the opening week of the season with a foot injury but he made his competitive debut for United on August 23 when coming off the bench against Charlton Athletic at The Valley. His first start came three days later against Watford and Carrick went on to make a total of 32 Premier League appearances during the season, scoring three goals, as United outlasted Chelsea to win the title. Carrick also started each of United's 12 Champions League games before their run was ended by AC Milan in the semi-finals.
His second campaign was disrupted by a broken elbow but Carrick still made 49 appearances in all competitions as United once again edged to the Premier League crown, but their season will be remembered for their dramatic triumph against Chelsea in the Champions League final. Carrick played all 120 minutes against the Blues before he stepped up to convert their second spot kick in a thrilling 6-5 win in a penalty shootout.
© Getty Images
Injury saw Carrick sit on the sidelines for much of the opening two months of the next season but when he returned, he helped the club achieve a third successive Premier League title, as well as the League Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. However, Carrick was unable to gain a second Champions League winners' medal as United fell to defeat to Barcelona in the final. Chelsea regained domestic honours the following year but another 44 appearances from Carrick helped United win a fourth Premier League trophy in five years during the 2010-11 season, but they again missed out to Barcelona in the Champions League final.
After a disappointing 2011-12, Carrick played in all but two of United's league fixtures during the following season as they successfully dethroned rivals Manchester City to win the title with four games to spare. The David Moyes era would begin and end in disaster but from a personal perspective, Carrick would play at least 40 times in all competitions for the eighth successive season. That run ended during Louis van Gaal's first season in charge, however, as he featured just 18 times in the league.
In March this year, Carrick signed a new deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford into a 10th year. It has been reported that the 34-year-old has attracted interest from the likes of Inter Milan and Newcastle United but despite facing increased competition in the centre of the park, it appears as though he will remain an important figure in United's first-team squad as they look to make an impact on their return to European competition.
