Michael Carrick memoir goes to Blink

Kings Road Publishing has signed Manchester United coach and ex-captain Michael Carrick's first autobiography.

The memoir is due to publish under the Blink imprint on 18th October, following a deal that was struck between publishing director Matthew Phillips and agent David Luxton for UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada).

Carrick is best known for his 12 year tenure as a Manchester United player, which he captained and will now coach. Over the course of his 17-year professional career he has played for West Ham United, Swindon Town, Birmingham City, Tottenham Hotspur and most famously Manchester United as Captain. He has won five Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup and multiple League Cups.

Carrick said the book would be the story of his life, from growing up in Wallsend to playing for England in the World Cup, covering both "amazing" and "dark" times he's experienced. Meanwhile, according to Blink, Carrick will invite readers to "experience the camaraderie and desire to succeed inside the United dressing room", including how it feels to walk out on the Old Trafford pitch alongside leading names in the game such as Ronaldo, Scholes and Pogba.

All of Carrick’s profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the Michael Carrick Foundation, a charity he set up last year to help create opportunities for children to feel safe, valued and inspired in their communities. Specifically it is dedicated to providing financial support to community services for underprivileged children living in the North and North East.

Phillips said: "Michael’s book has all the qualities he displayed as a player – thoughtful, incisive and honest. His story takes in some of the biggest personalities in the history of the game: Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, and gets to the heart of what it’s really like to be a professional footballer. The book is revelatory on both the man and the game, and I couldn’t be more delighted to be publishing it."

Carrick said: "This is a story of my life, from growing up in Wallsend, dreaming of becoming a footballer, and going on to win the Champions League with Manchester United and play for England in the World Cup. I played for some of the greatest managers as well as with and against the best footballers in the world. I experienced extremes in emotions, some amazing moments and some very dark periods. I dealt with the challenge of finding a balance between the huge pressure of having to perform at the very highest level in the public eye with the day-to-day responsibilities of being a husband and simply daddy. Now my playing days are over, it’s time to share my story, the real story."