Carrick Pleased To Be Fit For Pre Season

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is pleased to be on duty for Tour 2015 presented by Aon after missing last year's trip to the United States due to injury.

The 33-year-old did not make an appearance until November last term, following an ankle problem, coming off the bench against Manchester City. His campaign was bookended by the two derbies as he limped off towards the 4-2 win over the Blues in April and missed the end of the season.

Louis van Gaal has already explained how much more beneficial the summer's work will be to the veteran this time around and Carrick has enjoyed helping the new signings settle in Seattle.

"I feel fine," he informed MUTV. "I had a calf injury towards the end of the season but came in over the summer and that helped me settle back into training with the boys since we’ve been back.

"It's never ideal to miss pre-season. That’s something you deal with, you have ups and downs. It’s an important part of the year to get that training under your belt and get ready for the new season. You want to stay fit, stay involved."

Carrick has welcomed the arrival of fellow central midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, who have signed from Bayern Munich and Southampton respectively.

"Competition for places is good," he stated. "Over the years there has always been competition for places at this club.

"As players, you want the best players here and you want the squad to be as strong as possible and challenging for everything we’re involved and, to do that, you need the best players and the strength in depth.

"The four lads that have come in have got quality and they’ve settled in quite quickly. I think this is a welcoming and friendly group and we’re looking forward to getting to know them a bit better."