🚨🗣️BREAKING!!! Wayne Rooney is in no doubt that Michael Carrick should get the permanent Manchester United job: “We have seen the players play with more quality, more together as a team, and they look like a very strong team. For me, why would you change? He has got the best winning percentage of any Manchester United manager after that many games. For me, he has to get the job.”

“Why Would You Change?”: Wayne Rooney Backs Michael Carrick for Permanent United Role

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has left no room for doubt: Michael Carrick is the only man who should be leading the club into the 2026/27 season. Speaking on BBC’s 5Live Sport following United’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa, Rooney delivered a glowing endorsement of his former teammate, pointing to a historic statistical record as the ultimate proof of his success.

Since stepping in as interim boss in January, Carrick has transformed a fractured squad into the Premier League’s most in-form team, leading Rooney to ask a simple question: why look elsewhere?

“The Best Winning Percentage”

Rooney highlighted a fact that is becoming impossible for the INEOS board to ignore. After nine Premier League games in charge, Carrick holds an elite winning percentage that surpasses any manager in the club’s storied history over a similar opening period.

“He has got the best winning percentage of any Manchester United manager after that many games,” Rooney stated. “We have seen the players play with more quality, more together as a team, and they look like a very strong team. For me, why would you change? For me, he has to get the job.”

The Carrick Stats (since Jan 17th):

Played: 9

Won: 7

Drawn: 1

Points: 22/27 (More than any other Premier League side in that period)

Home Record: 6 wins from 6 (Only the 4th manager in PL history to achieve this)

Restoring the “United Way”

Beyond the numbers, Rooney emphasized the “calm head” Carrick has brought to a dressing room that was reportedly in turmoil following Ruben Amorim’s exit. Rooney noted that the players “needed some love,” and Carrick who knows the club’s DNA better than most has provided exactly that.

The results speak for themselves: a dominant derby win over Manchester City, a thrilling 3-2 victory away at Arsenal, and now a three-point cushion in the race for third place. Under Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 system, Bruno Fernandes has reached a record 16 assists, and Benjamin Šeško has found the clinical edge that had previously been missing.

The INEOS Dilemma

While Rooney and fellow legends like Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand are calling for an immediate permanent contract, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the board are reportedly still assessing elite external candidates, including Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto De Zerbi.

However, as Rooney pointed out, the risk of “going to the market” might be higher than simply trusting the man who has already delivered a “magical” atmosphere back to Old Trafford. “Everyone at Manchester United loves Michael Carrick,” Rooney added. “They are just scared it doesn’t go right. But it is going right.”