Carrick: The reasons behind my autobiography

Sunday 07 October 2018 22:11

Michael Carrick is releasing his autobiography ‘Between the Lines’ later this month and all proceeds from book sales will be going to his charitable Foundation.

Working with a ghost writer, The Times journalist Henry Winter, Carrick has retraced his early days in the North East, his time in London with West Ham United and Tottenham and, of course, his long, successful stay with Manchester United.

The first-team coach is embracing a new chapter in his footballing life so it felt like the perfect time to tell the tale of his playing days in great detail.

Michael Carrick in discussion with manager Jose Mourinho.

"As my career went on, writing my autobiography was something that I had in mind," Carrick told United Review, the official matchday programme.

"The closer the end came, the more I thought it would be a nice thing to do. It’s something for myself, my kids and my family – maybe even grandkids – to have and look back on. And with the proceeds going to the Foundation, it’s now giving something to others as well.

"On some things, it was the first time I’ve spoken to anyone about them in any depth or with any thought, so in some ways it was quite cleansing. Sometimes it changes your mindset on what happened as well; you step back and think: ‘Maybe it wasn’t so bad.’

"It’s been an enjoyable process, the whole thing, even talking about the tough times too. It’s been tougher than I thought, much more challenging and time consuming than I thought. But, once it’s done, you take a deep breath and enjoy it even more."

Carrick’s charity commitments remain extremely important to him and the sales from the book should provide a real boost to the project.

A fresh-faced Michael Carrick training with Joe Cole in his early days at West Ham.

"The Foundation is a big deal for me," he added. "It’s something I’m really passionate about and feel responsible for, to do something productive and help as many children as we can in and around Manchester and Newcastle."

A full interview with Carrick was published in Saturday's United Review, the official match programme. Copies can be bought online at manutd.com/programme.

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'Between The Lines' will be released in October and all profits will go to the Michael Carrick Foundation.

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