Michael Carrick's departure from Manchester United had more to do with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer than the former midfielder originally claimed, that's according to another former United player.
Carrick decided to leave United following the team's win over Arsenal last week, which he presided over a caretaker boss, ending 15 years at the club as player and coach.
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The former England player revealed the news in his post match interview, and was extremely honest about his decision to walk away before Ralf Rangnick took over.
Carrick did say that his decision was partially to do with loyalty towards Solskjaer, for whom he'd served as assistant manager, but it was far from the only reason.
Former United midfielder Paul Ince believes that Solskjaer's departure did have more to do with Carrick's decision, claiming the Norwegian's former assistant will want to team up with him again.
"I look at this three ways. I managed many a team. I always took Alex Rae with me who was my number two, a good friend of mine and a top coach," Ince explained to the Mirror.
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"Every time I left a club I said to Alan 'listen you stay, you take over the job and see if you like it'.
"But he has always said 'no, if you go I go' just out of pure loyalty.
"I am forever thankful for that. But when the news came up that Michael Carrick resigned, was it a situation where Solskjaer was the one that brought me in, who made me assistant and got me a new contract so it was always in his mind that he would go if Ole did. That's one option.
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"Second option is you presume Solskjaer will want to get back on the horse eventually, whether that be in the Championship or another country. Is that the case Carrick can go join Ole again as his No.2."
There isn't currently any talk of where Solskjaer may end up next, but when he did leave Old Trafford the bookies made Norway's national team favourite to use his services.
The side failed to qualify for the World Cup next winter, finishing third in the group behind Netherlands and Turkey, despite having the likes of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
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If there is no place for Carrick to join his former boss, then Ince thinks there is another option, with the former Liverpool player saying the 40-year-old could look to become a manager in his own right.
"The third option is that he might have got the taste for it. He did ever so well in those three games. Let's not get carried away, but they were three important games. Villarreal, which they needed to win, the Chelsea draw and beating Arsenal. Those are three tough games.
"For him to go in and do so well with such little experience, he might be thinking 'I can do this job, I've got a taste for it. I don't want to work under someone, I want to find my own feet out there and see if I can get a job as a manager.'"
Harry Redknapp certainly thinks it's a good idea, with the former Spurs boss claiming United should have given Carrick the job instead of Rangnick, apparently ignoring why United were in the situation in the first place.
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Do you think Carrick will rock up as Ole's assistant again or try and be his own man?
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Michael Carrick, Manchester United, Premier League