According to Old Trafford legend Nicky Butt, Carrick was ready to step away from coaching until Manchester United called him back.

The 45-year-old former midfielder was appointed interim manager of The Red Devils until the end of the season after Amorim was sacked in January. After guiding Manchester United back to the Champions League, Carrick earned a two-year contract.

However, Butt reveals that his close friend had planned to step away from coaching entirely until Ratcliffe and the club's hierarchy offered him the opportunity to return to Old Trafford.

The Manchester United legend said on the podcast "The Good, The Bad & The Football": "I was with Carrick before he got the job at Manchester United, and we talked about coaching.

"He said, 'No, it's not for me. Too much pressure, my head's scrambled. I'd only come out for a big job, and the big job is Manchester United.'"

There are concerns that Carrick's managerial prospects could unravel similarly to how his spell at Middlesbrough ended.

The five-time Premier League winner spent three years coaching at Riverside Stadium.

However, Carrick failed to secure promotion for Middlesbrough and was subsequently sacked.

Now, he has overseen the club's worst league start in 40 years.

Since the start of the season, The Red Devils have won just one Premier League match.

Last Saturday, Manchester United conceded an equaliser in the final minutes against Tottenham Hotspur, further compounding their struggles this season.

Scholes has been scathing in his criticism of Carrick's squad following that poor run of results.

He said on the podcast "The Good, The Bad & The Football": "This team, to be honest, is a bunch of cowards.

"Now is the time you position yourself to challenge for the title. I'm confident this team will be sitting sixth or seventh in the league by December, and they'll struggle in the Champions League.

"Then suddenly, they'll start winning because the others don't care about you anymore.

"Manchester United know they should be winning a lot of matches. They have a lot of very good players.

"But they need to win when it matters. Now is when it matters. By January, the season will be over.

"You won't win anything by then. They look very vulnerable, and any team can beat them."

Manchester United will face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, aiming to turn their season around, but Mainoo and Luke Shaw will be unavailable.

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