Michael Carrick is one of the most experienced player

Manchester United star Michael Carrick is one of the most experienced player in the squad.

However, he is aware of the intense competition for places – especially in the midfield – in wake of the recent signings made by the club. United have brought in names like Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger during the summer. This coupled with the existing names like Ander Herrera means that Carrick may find it difficult to be a first-team regular at Old Trafford. The England international is not in danger of losing his first-team spot all together since manager Louis van Gaal sees him as an important member even now.

Carrick has grown in stature over the last few years. It will help him keep his position in the squad intact even with the new signings. However, the midfielder has stated that he was not expecting to start every match in the first place. He is ready to accept competition for places, which has always been intense at a club like United. Carrick missed much of last season due to injury. He will be aware that it will be difficult to avoid injuries entirely at this stage in his career, but he will be hoping to limit the amount of time he spends on the sidelines.

"For the squad to have competition and for the manager to be able to pick and choose in certain games based on fitness and freshness for example, it’s a strong position to be in. It’s tough to pick the same team week in, week out, but I think you can only do it for so long before it hits you further down the line. It’s about keeping everyone fresh and on top form. If you’ve got to sit out, it’s not nice as a player because you want to play every game,” said Carrick.