Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Manchester United's Michael Carrick: I will always class myself as a midfielder

Michael Carrick insists he will always regard himself as a midfielder despite his successful reinvention as a centre-back in recent games for Manchester United.

Carrick, 33, made his first appearance of the season in defence during the Manchester derby and was moved into the back three by manager Louis van Gaal during the 2-1 win at Southampton.

The England international was occasionally used in defence during injury crises by Sir Alex Ferguson, and earned praise for his composed performance as a central defender in Sunday's 3-0 win over Liverpool.

But he told United Review: "I class myself as a midfielder and probably always will. I might have spells at centre-back, as I have over the last few years, but I've played for that long in midfield that I can't class myself as anything other than a midfielder."

Carrick is likely to continue in defence when United visit Aston Villa on Saturday, especially if Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling are both ruled out.

"Maybe when the injuries settle down and we have more of a settled squad then it will be more consistent in terms of positioning," he said. "But you have to be ready to deal with injuries. It's happened a few times this season and, the more it does, the easier it gets."

Carrick missed the first three months of the season after undergoing ankle surgery in July but United have won each of the six games he has started since his return.

"I feel good and I feel fresh," he added. "Obviously I missed a lot of football at the start of the season, but I'm enjoying it.

"When you're out for so long you really miss it, so I am just happy to be back playing and looking forward to the games ahead. You just try to play your own game."

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