Alex Ferguson: 'Michael Carrick key to success'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Michael Carrick will play a vital role for the team during the upcoming season.

The Red Devils boss said that the 31-year-old midfielder could be the "key" to success during the next campaign, PA reports.

"Carrick is the key to it. He denies it but he has always had slow starts [to a season]," Ferguson said. "By the time he gets to December he starts playing consistently well and he had a really good end to the season last year.

"If you look at the central midfielders in the Premier League - [Luka] Modric, Yaya Toure and [Steven] Gerrard, depending on where you play him - he can match up against any of them in terms of quality.

"He can read the game and also play in front of the back four. In the modern game you don't need tacklers the way you used to. It's about anticipation and reading the game."

Carrick, who joined United from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, has scored 13 goals in 118 appearances for the Manchester club.