Michael Carrick refuses to rule himself out of staying beyond summer

Michael Carrick isn’t ruling out the possibility of staying as Manchester United’s head coach beyond the end of this season, and insists he won’t just focus on the short-term.

Carrick was put in charge on Wednesday and faces Manchester City in his first game in the Old Trafford derby on Saturday lunchtime.

United are planning to make a permanent appointment in the summer, although Carrick has yet to speak to the club about the prospect of staying longer.

‘No, not at the moment,’ he said. ‘I think we're realistic as well, and where we are at the moment, why I'm here and the role I've got to do.

‘That doesn't change how we go about it day-to-day, and the focus and making decisions for the long-term strategy of the group.

‘I'm certainly not coming in thinking it's a time where week-to-week, game-to-game, we've got to get through it and tick each one off.

‘I think we want to plan to improve beyond this season and however that looks at this moment.

‘All I can control is what we give the players and how we create the atmosphere around the group. That's the main focus, and we'll see what happens after that.’

Asked if he would be interested in the job, he added: ‘Listen, I'm here because I enjoy the role and I wanted to do it, and I'm hugely privileged to be in this position.

‘That's where I am, it doesn't change whatever the term or the length. I'm here to do my best and hopefully I've got a lot of experience of what it takes and where we need to get to, and I'll try and help with that.’

Carrick brushed off a dig aimed at his wife by former United team-mate Roy Keane on the Stick to Football podcast this week.

Keane re-ignited an old squabble with Lisa Carrick when he suggested that she could always replace Carrick if the interim role doesn’t work out for him because ‘she's got a bit of a big mouth sometimes’.

‘Honestly, it didn't bother me,’ said Carrick, who was also reluctant to be drawn on Gary Neville’s assertion that he shouldn’t get the permanent job even if it goes well. Keane and Neville will be working for Sky Sports at today’s (sat) game.

‘They're not putting more pressure on me, I don't feel that,’ said Carrick. ‘It's totally irrelevant in terms of me and how I go to work and what I focus on.’