Michael Carrick has unequivocally stated his desire to land the ‘ultimate role’ of Manchester United head coach on a permanent basis, insisting he is not ‘bothered’ by criticism from the likes of Roy Keane.

Carrick, 44, has made a strong start to life at Old Trafford after taking the reins from Ruben Amorim last month. He has guided the club to four wins and one draw from his first five Premier League games, hauling the club back into the race for Champions League football next season.

The Englishman had originally been given the role until the end of the season, but his positive impact has put him well in contention to land the role full time. He is the overwhelming favourite to be in the dugout for the club’s first game next season.

And Carrick was not shy in expressing his desire to stick around at Old Trafford for the foreseeable. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said he is keen to land the job full-time, describing it as the ‘ultimate role’.

‘For me, it’s the ultimate role,’ he said. ‘I’m really enjoying it, I love what I’m doing. I’m fortunate. I feel privileged to be in the position I am, but it’s not the fact that I believe I can do it and I’m here to do it.

‘I said it when I came in – there’s the sentimental side of that… of understanding the role and coming through the club and being here and loving the club and being a supporter and all that side of it is one thing. But, actually, I’m here to do a job now and to make a good team and be successful.

‘I don’t decide how long that’s going to be but I love being here and while I’m here, I’ll give everything I can. And I always plan for the long-term future for the benefit of the football club. That’s how I believe it should be.’

Carrick’s appointment was initially met with skepticism from some quarters, with former team-mate Roy Keane labelling the club’s decision-making as a ‘circus act’ while also dismissing the quality of Carrick’s backroom staff – including Jonny Evans.

He said: ‘He’s on the beach two weeks ago Jonny Evans. Jonny Evans leaves Man United four or five weeks ago as a loans manager and then Darren Fletcher gives him a job, strangely enough gives him a job.

‘He has two games, Fletch goes and Carrick gives him a job, great isn’t it. We should all go to Barbados for a week.’

Keane had previously labelled Carrick’s wife, Lisa Roughead, a ‘big mouth’ after she took aim at the Irishman for his scathing comments regarding her husband’s display in a Champions League fixture in 2014.

‘His wife can always come in [if Carrick doesn’t do well], cause she’s got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She’s probably doing the team talk,’ he said on The Overlap.

But as far as Carrick is concerned, he could not care less about Keane’s criticism.

‘It doesn’t bother me one bit. Genuinely, it doesn’t. I’m not going to really fall out with anyone over that. I think it’s a respect thing as much as anything and I’ll give and take that.

‘I think for younger players in general it’s something we need to help them with and look after them. It’s a different world now to when, say, I was coming through, but we do that and we look after them.’

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