Middlesbrough midfielder Chuba Akpom says a conversation with Jadon Sancho about Michael Carrick left him feeling optimistic about the future..
Carrick was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistant manager at Manchester United and even took temporary charge before Ralf Rangnick was appointed. After taking a break from football, the 41-year-old was appointed as Boro’s permanent manager in October, after the Teessiders struggled under Chris Wilder.
Their progress since then has been astounding. Carrick has averaged over two points per game at the Riverside, and the club is now third in the Championship, seven points behind Sheffield United..
While many Boro players were unsure what to expect from this new chapter, Akpom explained that he was looking forward to Carrick’s arrival after speaking with Sancho.
He told the official Middlesbrough website: “No, I was actually very excited about Carrick’s arrival because a good friend of mine is Jadon Sancho at Manchester United, and he had nothing but positive things to say about the manager, so I kind of knew what to expect from the gaffer. But I had no idea it would go so well.”
Akpom has 22 goals in 30 appearances for the second-tier club, which is vying to return to the Premier League. While Sancho clearly admires Carrick, it appears that the admiration is mutual..
Carrick predicted Sancho’s future in 2021, saying, “He’s a terrific player, Jadon. When the ball is at his feet, he’s never happier than when he’s trying to create something, going at defenders, linking inside with forwards, creating chances, and scoring goals.
Who knows how far he can go? Hopefully, he realizes every ounce of his potential. He has enormous potential; if he continues to do the right things and stay on track, he has a great chance..
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