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Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick has overseen a notable turnaround at Old Trafford, but some of his former teammates remain cautiously optimistic about his long-term prospects.

Since Carrick took charge as interim boss, no Premier League team has accumulated more points than Manchester United. However, the club’s hierarchy and former players believe he still needs to complete the job successfully before being considered the leading candidate for the permanent position.

When Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January, United were sitting seventh in the league table. Under Carrick’s guidance, they have bridged an 11-point gap on Aston Villa to climb up to third place.

Former United and England stars Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville have both praised Carrick’s impact but admit they need further convincing before endorsing him as the long-term solution at Old Trafford.

Speaking on the ‘Stick to Football’ show, Rooney commented, “I think if they manage to qualify for the Champions League, [Carrick] deserves to get the job. He puts himself right up there if the club is considering new managers – he definitely moves into pole position, in my opinion.”

Neville, meanwhile, feels the club should keep its options open for now and observe how the season progresses before making a final decision.

He also expressed some hesitation regarding Carrick’s suitability for the role on a permanent basis, citing his relatively limited managerial experience and Manchester United’s previous misstep in appointing a caretaker manager permanently.

Neville explained, “Manchester United must continue to look for another manager at this moment, mainly because you can’t predict how the results will unfold. But developments like Thomas Tuchel re-signing with England do narrow down United’s options, which could work in Michael’s favour.”

He added, “If Carrick manages to guide United into the Champions League, there will be tremendous excitement about him being appointed full-time. I’m not against the idea – I admire him a lot – but I believe the club should aim for the highest calibre of manager available. They’ve already tried young, inexperienced former players like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and that approach didn’t work out in the end. So I think the best move is to minimise risk as much as possible.”