'It's when rather than if' - Rooney on Carrick

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Michael Carrick can lead Manchester United "for however long he wants if he gets it right", says the club's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney.

United beat rivals Liverpool on Sunday to secure their return to Champions League football and strengthen Carrick's claim to be appointed head coach on a permanent basis.

"It's when rather than if I think," Rooney told The Wayne Rooney show.

"In my opinion it wouldn't be a bad decision.

"The one thing we're hearing is that there's Champions League football next season and more games so how is he going to deal with that.

"He's been in the Championship with Middlesbrough where squad rotation is actually even more difficult than it is in the Premier League because normally you've got about 14 players with a bit of quality and the rest beyond that haven't.

"He's been there, he knows how to do that. If you brought in a Luis Enrique or Thomas Tuchel and they won 10 of of their first 14 games you would say that's incredible. So, just because he's a young, English manager it means it's not the right place to look in a lot of people's eyes.

"Michael Carrick is a clever person, he's a really good coach, and I think he can lead the team for however long he wants if he gets it right.

"It will be an interesting summer. For the first time in a long time Manchester United seem like they have a bit of calmness around the whole place and that's a good thing."

There isn't a single Premier League side that has picked up more points since Carrick returned to Old Trafford on 17 January, so no wonder Rooney is backing his former team-mate for the long-term job.