Michael Carrick buys up a £1.6m street of properties

Interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has already been busy in the transfer market – buying up a street of property.

The canny ex-England star now boasts an impressive line-up of bricks and mortar just five miles from where he grew up.

Carrick has been given the reins at Old Trafford until the end of the season, and we can reveal he's been busy in the property market in the last few months.

He has just spent £1.6m on a range of properties, including shops and residential in the seaside town of Tynemouth – just up the road from Wallsend, where he was born.

One is a building housing a kids' clothes shop called Children of the Revolution, which shut last month after 18 years of trading citing rises in rent, stock, rates and utilities costs and competition from Amazon and online shopping.

The portfolio of five buys is all on Front Street in the sought-after area.

He has taken out mortgages on the investments via his Carras Media Ltd outfit and the deals were all done last year.

Carrick was sacked by Championship side Middlesbrough just seven months ago and will now have to concentrate to salvaging United's shaky season rather than his expanding property firm.

He led Boro to the Championship play-offs in an impressive debut campaign at the Riverside Stadium, but was axed after two underwhelming seasons that saw them finish eighth and 10th respectively.

The 44-year-old won over Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada during the recruitment process to rejoin United, and will take charge for the remainder of the season following Ruben Amorim's departure.

Speaking to club media on Tuesday, Carrick opened up about his emotions. 'It's an unbelievable feeling to come back through the doors, really, and be part of the club again,' he said.

'You know, it's been part of my life for so long. The fact that I left the club for a number of years recently has never really left me, you know. I'm quickly focused on doing the job.

'It's a big responsibility, a massive pleasure and a privilege to be here, but we want to do a good job and this place deserves that. So massively, massively focused to get started and get going.'