Carrick's On A Mission At Anfield

Michael Carrick sees his role in Manchester United's vital trip to Anfield on Sunday as two-fold – making an important individual contribution himself and, as the squad's oldest player, using his experience to help others do the same.

The midfielder was in fine form in last weekend's 3-0 home victory over fellow Champions League-chasers Tottenham Hotspur, making the first goal and heading home the second.

Carrick had previously endured a frustrating spell on the sidelines through injury but, having made his return earlier this month, he is determined to play an important part in the Reds' top-four mission.

The 33-year-old, who has been called up to the England squad, says he is looking to make an impact from a personal perspective in the nine remaining matches, but is fully aware of the role he can play in encouraging others to follow suit, particularly in the excursion to Merseyside to face Liverpool.

"There is a responsibility that comes with the experience you have," he told United Review recently. "There is a lot of experience within the squad and there is also a group of younger lads and you try to help them and give them advice at certain times.

"I'm not one to sit everyone down and discuss things; it’s more about giving advice and little pointers at different times.

"It's good to be back and I feel fine," he added, when asked about his fitness. "Once you get back, you just want a run of games and hopefully I can get that.

"It's been a bit of a nightmare season for me injury-wise and just at the time in my career where you’re getting a little bit older and you want to be playing as much as you can and enjoy your football. I’ve had a good run over the years, though, and hopefully this is the only blip so I can bounce back and get a good run of fitness now."

Sunday's match is one of a number of big tests against teams also vying for a top four-finish – Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are still to come – ensuring victories in those matches are all the more crucial.

"The thing about the next few games is the fact they’re against the teams around us, that’s what makes it even more important to pick up maximum points," explained Carrick. "Form-wise we haven’t been bad, but just as we seemed to be getting on a really good run, we had a little setback, which stopped us being an extra place or two higher up the league. Getting a good run of wins is going to be very important.

"The confidence is there and the belief is there," he continued. "We have tough games coming up but we’re not in a bad position. If we can get the right results, we can get ourselves in an even better position in the weeks to come, that's our aim."