Carrick: North East Needs Top Flight

Michael Carrick was the ideal interviewee for MUTV ahead of this weekend's Premier League match at Sunderland. After all, nobody in the Reds squad knows the region better than the midfielder born in Wallsend, just 11 miles from Sunday's venue, the Stadium of Light...

As a native of the North East, how important is it for the region to have representation in the Premier League? 
It is important, particularly for the vibe of the area. It’s such a football-orientated region that it’s so important to have a team in the Premier League and a team doing well. As it is at the minute, Sunderland and Middlesbrough are finding it tough in the Premier League and Newcastle aren’t quite in there yet. It’s been a bit of an up and down time for the three teams over the last few years and it’s not been often that all three have been in the Premier League at the same time. It’s nice for me to have teams in there as it gives me a chance to go home and see some old friends. [Smiles]

When you think of Sunderland now, there are quite a few United links, with David Moyes, John O’Shea and Adnan Januzaj, and there always have been links down the years – why do you think that is?
Yes, there does seem to have been links over the years for whatever reason. I remember Kieran Richardson was there for a spell, Fraizer Campbell, Bardo [Phil Bardsley], Jonny [Evans], Simmo [Danny Simpson], so, over the years, there has been a lot. I don’t know why it is, there have been different managers and regimes but there’s been that United link and it’ll be nice to see a few old faces again.

How good a place is the North East to play football in? It seems to be that the passion of the fans transmits, no matter whether the teams are at the top or bottom of the table…
As I said, it’s such a football-orientated place that if a team, for example Newcastle, are doing well then the whole place is buzzing and when they’re not, there is that down feeling around the place. It really does dictate the feeling in the North East. The passion for football is what stands out, it’s incredible up there. Personally, I’d like to see the teams back up again and the place bouncing again and there’s a really positive atmosphere because it’s a great place when the teams are doing well.

Some United fans have refused to forget a section of the Sunderland supporters celebrating when events went against us on the last day of the Premier League season in 2012. As players, do you remember little things about away grounds like that which spur you on?
In some ways it can but, at the same time, it’s a totally different game. On Sunday, it’s two different teams, two different managers and a different situation completely. Maybe the first time we went back after it, there was a little bit of feeling there, remembering what had happened but, at the same time, that’s just football. You have to get on with it and certainly going there on Sunday, I won’t have any feelings of that. I’ll be trying to forget what happened!