Michael Carrick has agreed to become Manchester United interim head coach – and former England assistant manager Steve Holland is set to be his number two.
Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion will also be part of Carrick’s staff.
Former United and England midfielder Carrick agreed a deal on Monday night, with an announcement due on Tuesday once the necessary paperwork has been signed.
United sacked Ruben Amorim after 14 months on 5 January and Darren Fletcher took charge as caretaker boss for two matches.
Carrick will be in the dugout for Saturday’s Premier League derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The 44-year-old had a three-game stint as United’s temporary boss after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021.
Holland worked under Gareth Southgate when England finished fourth at the 2018 World Cup and were runners-up at Euro 2021 and 2024.
He spent several years with Chelsea, where he had major success under a number of managers.
The 55-year-old was sacked as manager of Japanese club Yokohama F Marinos in April after only four months in charge.
Woodgate worked under Carrick at Middlesbrough and was a team-mate of United director of football Jason Wilcox at Leeds.
Woodgate managed Boro between 2019 and 2020 and had a short spell as Bournemouthmanager in 2021.
Former United defender Evans will return to Old Trafford. Binnion is already part of the club’s coaching staff.
Carrick held face-to-face talks with United officials last Thursday and is understood to have impressed chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Wilcox with his vision for the team.
Carrick is set to play a 4-2-3-1 system, a move away from the three at the back set-up employed by Amorim.
Solskjaer, who has played and managed United, also held talks with the hierarchy over the vacancy.
But Carrick has been chosen given he is more of a hands-on coach than Solskjaer.
Fletcher, who took charge of the games against Burnley and Brighton immediately after Amorim’s exit, will return to the Under-18s.
United view him as a key part of their coaching staff moving forward but it was mutually agreed that a return to the Under-18s is best to continue his development.
‘Carrick and Solskjaer both impressed’ – analysis
The feeling that Carrick arguably provides greater hands-on coaching expertise than Solskjaer was at the heart of why United decided to take the path they have.
Both candidates impressed during talks and both made absolutely clear that their interest in replacing Amorim was in order to help a club they hold so dearly to their hearts out of its current difficulties.
The potential for Norwegian Solskjaer to again inspire a squad so clearly in need of a pick-me-up – as he did when he initially replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in 2018 – was a key consideration for United chiefs.
But the sense that coaching was at the heart of Carrick’s appointment ultimately became one of the overriding factors behind the decision.
Carrick, during his relatively short managerial career, has developed a reputation as one of Britain’s most adept young coaches.
Intriguingly, it also has not gone unnoticed by United chiefs that at Middlesbrough Carrick oversaw a transition from a three-at-the-back system deployed by predecessor Chris Wilder to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
He is expected to make the same tactical transition at Old Trafford, with Carrick set to move away from Amorim’s 3-4-3 system to his favoured 4-2-3-1 – a formation far more aligned with United’s traditions.
And while Solskjaer’s initial success in shaking players out of their malaise in the 2018-19 season was a factor, it is also acknowledged that much of the coaching during his reign was completed by his then assistants Kieran McKenna and Carrick.
By BBC Sports
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