It’s amazing to think Michael Carrick had his detractors at the start of his United career, with some grumblings about his transfer fee - £14m rising to £18.6m with add-ons.

Even after his debut 2006/07 season, in which he carved out a formidable partnership with Paul Scholes as the Reds reclaimed the title, some people predicted he’d slip down the pecking order after the arrival of Owen Hargreaves. But not a bit of it. Carrick has become ever more important to United, maturing into one of English football's most sophisticated and classy passing midfielders.

The first of Carrick's two

league titles with United to date was also the first major honour of his professional career, although he did win the FA Youth Cup with West Ham in 1999, scoring twice in the 9-0 final demolition of Coventry City.

West Ham loaned Carrick out to Swindon in 1999/2000 and then Birmingham in 2000/01 when he earned a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year, eventually won by Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

Carrick spent much of the 2002/03 season sidelined with injury. West Ham were relegated at the end of it but rather than join Joe Cole, Fredi Kanoute and Jermain Defoe in an exodus,