Michael Carrick's New Deal Opens Up Chance of Coaching Role at Manchester United

Manchester United have a policy of offering players over 30-years-old one-year contract extensions.

It's evidence, then, of how important Michael Carrick is to the club that at 32 he is set to sign up for another two years. There's also an option for a third.

Should he stay at Old Trafford for another three seasons, it would take the England midfielder towards his 36th birthday. And if he stays injury-free, there's no reason why he couldn't follow Ryan Giggs' footsteps and keep playing as he approaches his 40s.

David Moyes has only been in the job for a short time, but he's already shown he would rather keep hold of United's experienced men rather than usher them out of the door.

Phil Neville has been brought back to form part of Moyes' management team while Giggs has taken on a coaching role alongside his playing duties. Nicky Butt is in charge of the Under-21s while Paul Scholes, who retired at the end of last season, has been helping out every now and again.

It's not jobs for the boys, rather the right boys for the jobs.

Moyes raised some eyebrows with his decision to axe Sir Alex Ferguson's back room staff—Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen and Eric Steele—and appoint his own. But rather than feel threatened by the vast experience that was waiting around every corner at Carrington, he has sought to utilise it.

Andre Villas-Boas tried to usher John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole out of the door at Chelsea when he took over at Stamford Bridge. If anything, Moyes has taken the opposite approach, looking to emulate Liverpool's old "Boot Room" policy of handing ex-players coaching roles.

Carrick hasn't come through the youth system at United like Neville, Giggs, Butt and Scholes. But he's a candidate to follow in their footsteps. 

He's English and he will have been at Old Trafford for 10 years when his next contract expires. He hasn't got the commercial interests of Rio Ferdinand to keep him busy after retirement and, as one of the premier passers of a ball England has produced in the last decade, he has a wealth of knowledge to pass on. That can only benefit United's next batch of homegrown midfielders. 

For now, though, Carrick will be focused on his playing career rather than what lies in wait afterwards.

He has seen firsthand how Giggs, Scholes and, to a certain extent Ferdinand, have moulded their game to continue well into their 30s. Carrick, blessed with touch, vision but never pace, should not have to change that much.

The legs tend to go long before the brain.

And when his legs do finally go for good, Moyes should make use of the brain with a role on his coaching staff.