Michael Carrick was not just a calming influence on the pitch. The midfielder was also a level-headed, even-handed figure off it and he often stepped up to the plate when the media craved post-match analysis from inside the Manchester United camp. When the squad needed a rational spokesman, he was a go-to guy.
I had the pleasure of speaking to the midfielder numerous times during his 12 years of wearing the famous red shirt, dating back to his transfer from Tottenham in 2006. We met for insightful one-to-one interviews and many post-match conversations with other journalists in stadiums around England, around Europe and indeed around the globe.