Michael Carrick zips up his winter coat and prepares for a scouting mission like an Arctic explorer, stepping into the freezing night with a farewell handshake and a deadpan assessment of his hopes and expectations from this new career as manager of Middlesbrough.
‘Ambitions, me?’ Carrick almost smiles. ‘I’m just happy doing what I’m doing. I’m genuinely not chasing anything. I’m just trying to do the best I can, enjoying the challenge and trying to give back to a club that’s shown a lot of faith in me to give me this chance.’
His even temperament will stand him in good stead — together with the tactical acumen evident in days he controlled the ebb and flow of Manchester United’s midfield, his education as a coach in the unforgiving crucible of Old Trafford, and his appetite for hard work.