Michael Carrick Names The Manchester United Player Who ‘Didn’t Get The Respect He Deserved’
During his 12 years at Manchester United, Michael Carrick believes John O’Shea “didn’t get the respect he deserved” outside of the club.
In 1999, United recruited the Irishman as a 17-year-old from Waterford Bohemians, and he went on to make 393 appearances for the club, earning five Premier League titles.
O’Shea wasn’t flashy, but he was flexible and dependable, and Sir Alex Ferguson adored what he had to offer.
In addition to winning 14 major awards, O’Shea scored a brilliant chip at Highbury, kept a clean sheet against Spurs, and nutmegged Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo.
However, Carrick, who has been a long-time teammate of O’Shea since joining United in 2006, believed he didn’t get the praise he deserved.
Carrick noted in his 2018 autobiography Between The Lines, “Sheasy was a terrific lad who didn’t get the attention he deserved outside United, except in Ireland, where he’s a legend.”
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“Sheasy played right-back in almost every game that year, and he was fantastic.
“Sheasy could play midfield, left-back, or center-back for the side. He knew what it meant to be a United player, what it needed to win, and how to behave.
“Off the field, he was a perfectly professional, and I could see why Sir Alex kept Sheasy at United for 12 years because he never had to worry about him or babysit him.”
“The boss just knew Sheasy would be ready when he needed him.”
After leaving United in 2011, O’Shea joined Sunderland and later played for Reading, where he is now the first-team coach.
Following the firing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Carrick led United to a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in his first game as temporary manager.
United qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League as a consequence of the outcome. Despite the fact that Carrick will only be in charge for one more game, O’Shea feels he will be successful because he is “extremely calm, very calculated, and ultimately very focused on the squad.”
