Michael Carrick has been sacked as head coach of Middlesbrough following a failure to secure promotion to the Premier League across three consecutive attempts. The former Manchester United and England midfielder, 43, was relieved of his duties after a meeting with club chairman Steve Gibson.
Carrick took over from Chris Wilder in October 2022 and made an immediate impact by guiding Middlesbrough to a fourth-place finish in his first season. However, the club fell short of reaching the play-offs in the two seasons that followed, with poor end-of-season form proving costly.
Middlesbrough confirmed Carrick’s dismissal in a short statement, which also announced the departure of his assistants Jonathan Woodgate and Graeme Carrick. “Middlesbrough Football Club has today parted company with head coach Michael Carrick,” the statement read. “Michael’s assistants Jonathan Woodgate and Graeme Carrick have also departed the club. We’d like to thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future.”
The club added that no further comment would be made at this stage.
Woodgate, a former Boro player and eight-cap England international, previously managed the club from 2019 to 2020. Graeme Carrick, Michael’s brother, had a coaching background with Newcastle United.
Carrick’s departure comes amid speculation about his next move. Just a day before the announcement, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole suggested that Carrick could be a viable managerial candidate for Tottenham Hotspur, one of his former clubs. “Michael Carrick could be a good option for the manager’s job. An ex-Spurs player, who understands the club, would be quite nice,” Cole said during an interview with Paddy Power.
