Everton striker Wayne Rooney has paid tribute to former mate Michael Carrick after he announced his proposed retirement at the end of the season. The 36-year-old has barely featured for Manchester United following a heart procedure, and he appears set to take up a backroom role with the Red Devils next season.

Rooney spent more a decade with Carrick at United, where they won every trophy within reach at club level, and the Toffees marksman wished the midfielder good luck after his retirement decision, he tweeted: “Good luck to my good friend Michael Carrick who is retiring at the end of the season. Great teammate and one of the best I’ve played with. Brilliant career and I’m sure he will be very successful in his new role as a coach.”

Carrick has yet to confirm joining United in a coaching capacity next term, but Jose Mourinho has already highlighted that talks are underway to prolong the Englishman’s association at Old Trafford. The veteran has managed just three appearances over the course of the current season, and it seems that he may have to wait until the tail-end of the campaign for one final outing.
United are currently at a critical stage of the season, where they are vying for a top-four finish in the Premier League, and Mourinho is likely to name his best line-up for the remaining eight games in the campaign. Meanwhile, there may also be little rotation in the FA Cup with the club facing an in-form Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final stage next month.

Carrick’s ball distribution skills have over the years provided United with a sense of calmness at the heart of the midfield, and the club are likely to miss his services in the future. Nevertheless, his decision offers the club with the chance to recruit another top-quality midfielder, who can deliver consistent performances in the long-run. Napoli’s Jorginho and Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have been earmarked as United’s prime targets for the summer.