Nicky Butt doubles down on Michael Carrick's 'management's not for me' claim - as he pinpoints moment under-fire Man United boss made comment

Former Manchester United star Nicky Butt has doubled down on his bizarre claim that Michael Carrick told him 'management's not for me' before he took the job at Old Trafford.

Carrick, 45, returned to the club where he earned legendary status as a player in January in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim's sacking.

Despite a strong end to last season when he guided United to third place, Carrick is under huge pressure this time around after picking up just seven points from nine matches.

Speaking last month, Butt revealed that Carrick had told him he would only return to management for the United job after his sacking by Middlesbrough in June 2025, a claim the current Red Devils boss subsequently laughed off.

Yet, Butt, appearing on Football Uncensored with Piers Morgan, has reaffirmed his stance and pinpointed the exact moment when Carrick told him he didn't want to get back in the dugout.

'I believe I said that but I’ll clarify what I meant,' Butt said. 'And I’m not ducking it, I’m really not, I’ll explain. I was playing in a padel tournament with Michael, he’s my doubles partner, and I was talking about football and Middlesbrough.

Former Manchester United star Nicky Butt has doubled down on his bizarre claim that Michael Carrick told him 'management's not for me' before he took the job at Old Trafford

Speaking on Football Uncensored, Butt revealed the exact moment that Carrick made the claim

'I had a beer after it, and I was like "so what’s your plans mate? What do you think you’re going to do when you get back into management?"

'He said "no, it’s all over the show, it’s hard work – however, if the big one came up, obviously I would take it".'

Butt continued: 'And the big one did come up, and he took it, and that wasn’t a case of me saying Michael didn’t want the Man United job, it was a case of he didn’t want a job.

'He didn’t want to go driving up and down the M6 all day when he’s got kids at home for no reward.

'But if the big one comes, which I assume was Man United, then he’d take it. That’s the facts of the conversation that I had with him.'

When pressed on Butt's comments ahead of United's draw with Leeds last month, Carrick had said: 'I definitely wouldn't be here if that was the case, would I? At this stage, it's the best job and the best role I could possibly have.

'I feel a real privilege of being in this position and a real responsibility, but equally a drive of wanting to make a difference and having success here.

'I'm loving it. I love the situation when actually you get some sort of struggle and you've got to find a way out of it. I actually enjoy that because that's part of what drives you to have success.

'If you're not ready for that and you can't do anything that's difficult, then you're never going to be great. So we've got to work our way through it, and I'm enjoying it as we go.'

Butt claimed Carrick said he'd only return to management for 'the big job' at Man United

Butt's original claim had come on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast when he said: 'I was with Michael before he got the Man United job and spoke to him about management.

'He went "no it's not for me, it's too much, my head's all over the show, I'd only do it for the big job. The big job is Man United".

'So because that club's gone to him he's naturally going to go and do it. I think when he's gone through that door, put aside last year because like Scholesy said that's totally different to this year, I think he's realised he's gone into a club that's different to the club that he knew and was at.

'But these lads won't turn down Man United. Ole Gunnar (Solskjaer) wouldn't turn it down.

'Roy Keane might never turn that down. When that club comes calling and you've been at that football club, you don't turn it down.'

United and Carrick face a crunch week, with home games against Roma and Aston Villa coming ahead of next week's international break.