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It hasn't taken long for Michael Carrick to win over those at Old Trafford after returning to Manchester United as interim manager. His achievements at Middlesbrough had already suggested the sort of influence he could have on the playing squad in Manchester, though, with Boro's players making their feelings clear.

Carrick managed Boro for more than two seasons, securing fourth place in the Championship during his debut campaign and delivering two additional top-half finishes afterwards. He had to deal with upheaval in that period, losing crucial players including Chuba Akpom and Morgan Rogers and being forced to rebuild.

The manager rejoined United, where he played for more than ten years, following Ruben Amorim's dismissal as manager. His opening fixture as interim boss brought an impressive derby win, with United deserving of their three points after goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

Carrick's impact on his players was already clear to some from his previous role. Several of Carrick's former Middlesbrough players have spoken warmly about the 44-year-old over the years and there's a hope he might be able to make a similar impact off the pitch at Old Trafford.

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"I think he's the manager I've been dreaming of my whole career," top scorer Akpom revealed to Sky Sports during the 2022/23 season. The striker netted 28 goals that campaign, more than double the second-highest return of his career.

"Honestly, he is a pleasure to work with. I go out there, give 110 per cent and I want to fight for the manager, as he has put so much trust and confidence in me and I really appreciate it. I had to dedicate that [goal] to the gaffer.

"Immediately, when he came in, he put me in the No.10 role and just gave me the license to roam around. If you see me on the pitch, I am just roaming from right to left, and he has given me that freedom to go out there and express myself. I appreciate that so much."

Hayden Hackney is another Middlesbrough player who has flourished under Carrick's guidance. The England Under-21 midfielder claimed Boro's young player of the year accolade in Carrick's debut season as manager and has since attracted interest from top-flight sides.

"I really do appreciate that he's giving me the opportunity. I'm just trying to take it game by game as much as possible," Hackney remarked during that opening campaign, elaborating on the specific ways he was being enabled to excel.

"I watched him a lot - he was on the TV every week wasn't he at Man Utd? ! He was a great player and I'm grateful to be learning from him.

"I think it's more the little things - little movements, for example. He's taught me, sometimes I don't need to move that much to get into a bit of space."

Carrick rescued Boro from the threat of relegation to secure a play-off position in his debut season, and achieving that would have been difficult without quickly getting his ideas across to the squad. It wasn't only the younger players who embraced his methods, with seasoned defender Tommy Smith sharing his thoughts on the gaffer's style.

"He's come in with fresh ideas and I think the players have really taken to them and how he wants to approach games," Smith told ITV Football in 2023. "I think the league table shows, the results show, that it's obviously working.

"The manager would be the first to say that it's not the finished article by any stretch. He's desperate for us to improve and we're desperate to improve as players. There is still a long way to go in the season, but it's looking good. We're playing well as a team. and long may that continue."

In the end, Boro couldn't replicate that initial play-off success under Carrick as changes to the squad left the team weaker and performances steadily declined. There's plenty of time for him to demonstrate he can do the same with United.

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