Matheus Cunha didn't hesitate when asked if Michael Carrick could still play in the Premier League
Matheus Cunha has given his take on whether Michael Carrick could still play in the Premier League, eight years after the former Manchester United midfielder called time on his playing career.
Carrick, who was 36 years old when he played his final game in professional football - a match against Watford in 2018 - has been known to get involved in training sessions at Carrington.
On his first day as caretaker manager in January, for example, he started one of the passing drills by firing a ball into feet with the sort of accuracy and speed he showed on a regular basis at Old Trafford.
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In fact, this moment was recently brought up by Matheus Cunha, who was asked if Carrick would be capable of playing in the Premier League as he took part in the 'fact or fiction' format on Sky Sports' YouTube channel.
The Brazilian was absolutely convinced. He immediately placed the card into the 'fact' box before explaining his decision.
"Michael Carrick can still play in the Premier League? That's a fact," said Cunha. "The first training session, he comes in and starts passing the ball with the midfield. I was like, 'Wow, wow, he's in shape, huh?'
"He can play, to be honest. I think this season he's started to miss more long balls, but between the lines, he's unbelievable, and then I think he can still play.
"It's amazing (that he still gets involved in training). He comes in, he plays, and then he teaches the middle how to do something, and then he's there with an example. Everyone is like, 'Wow.'"
Hayden Hackney opens up on what Michael Carrick was like in training at Middlesbrough
On the subject of training, now-Everton midfielder Hayden Hackney became familiar with Carrick's methods when they worked together at Middlesbrough.
Speaking to SPORTbible in March, Hackney said: “When we’d ping longer balls from behind, he’d stop the drill and say, ‘No, keep the ball nice and flat'. He would then jump in and perform the pass.
"They were perfect every time," Hackney added. “But we didn’t have the quality to pull off a pass like that every time."
We also asked Hackney whether he was surprised by Carrick’s impact at United. “No, not really. I see a lot of similarities in the way he tried to have us playing at Boro," he said.
"He’s so attack-minded. He used to say, ‘The best form of defence is attack.’ When you were in a tight game, he would bring another forward on to finish the game off. That would give you confidence. I’m not surprised at how he’s doing."
Topics: Man Utd, Premier League, Michael Carrick
Jack Kenmare