Usain Bolt on who Manchester United should appoint as next head coach
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 21.04.26. | 17:40
Carrick stepped into the role in January following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, with Darren Fletcher briefly overseeing two matches in the interim. What followed has been a remarkable turnaround
Sprint legend Usain Bolt has thrown his weight behind Michael Carrick to take over as permanent manager of Manchester United, insisting the club has rediscovered its “joy” under the former midfielder.
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Carrick stepped into the role in January following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, with Darren Fletcher briefly overseeing two matches in the interim. What followed has been a remarkable turnaround.
United, who were languishing in sixth place in the Premier League at the time of Amorim’s departure, have surged into third under Carrick’s guidance, firmly placing themselves in contention for a UEFA Champions League spot.
His tenure began with statement victories over rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, setting the tone for a run that has seen him win eight of his first 12 matches in charge.
Despite the impressive results, uncertainty still surrounds Carrick’s long-term future, with the club yet to decide whether to hand him the job permanently amid links to several high-profile managerial candidates.
However, Bolt believes the answer is already within Old Trafford.
“It’s back. I must say that the joy is back. I think Carrick has really changed the way the players are. I think they believe in him, and they want to play hard for him, and they want to do well. So I'm happy to see what's going on right now,” Bolt told CNN.
Carrick’s deep-rooted connection with United has been evident in his approach. During his playing career, he won five league titles and a Champions League trophy, later transitioning into coaching roles under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He then took his first managerial role at Middlesbrough, where he guided the team into promotion contention before leaving in the summer of 2025.
His return to Manchester came unexpectedly, answering what many saw as an SOS call from the club. Yet, in a short span, he has reignited belief within the squad, something Bolt feels should not be disrupted.
“Yeah, I think I definitely do want him to stay, because you can see the belief now. Anytime you can see when players believe in a coach, they always play harder for that coach.
You can see the players are really playing hard, and you can see the change,” he added.
The Jamaican icon also questioned the need for a marquee managerial appointment, suggesting continuity could be United’s best path forward.
“I don’t see any coach out there now who is going to come in and do better. All he’s going to do is change the system. And it’s going to be, are they going to like the coach?
Are they going to mesh together? So I feel like the fact that Carrick is working now, let's just stick with him,” he said.
Up next, the Red Devils will welcome Brentford on Monday, 27 April.