Gareth Bale has endorsed one of his former managers as someone who could replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United, calling the experienced boss a ‘genius’ who would do an ‘amazing job’
Gareth Bale has endorsed Carlo Ancelotti for the Manchester United job. (Image: Stick to Football/YouTube)
Former Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has backed Carlo Ancelotti as a potential successor to Michael Carrick at Manchester United, describing the Italian as a ‘genius’.
Carrick returned to United on a temporary basis through to the end of the campaign and has overseen his team claim victory in six of his eight matches to date. Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle marked the first loss under the former midfielder’s stewardship.
That has positioned him as a contender to secure the permanent position in the summer. However, United might also evaluate alternative candidates with numerous managers reportedly in the frame for the post.
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Among the names being linked with the position is Carlo Ancelotti. The 66-year-old currently manages Brazil and will guide them at this summer’s World Cup in North America.
Ancelotti boasts extensive experience, having taken charge of some of the most prestigious clubs in global football. The manager worked with Bale during his initial tenure at Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015, and the Wales icon praised his former boss.
Speaking on Stick to Football, he said: “He did well at Everton. I think he would do great.
“He’s not just a manager, he’s a coach as well, and he can do the tactical stuff as well. When his son was the head coach in his second spell, he did a lot more tactically then, but I think we had a better team the first time.
“Wherever Carlo goes, he will do an amazing job, just because he gets everybody on board. If you go to a big club and got good players, whether they’re performing at the time or not, like Man United, they have been in the last couple of weeks but prior to that haven’t, they’ve got good players and he’ll get the best out of good players.
Carlos Ancelotti has been linked with the Manchester United job.(Image: Sergio Lima / AFP via Getty Images)
“He’ll simplify things. You see now with Michael Carrick, he’s simplified a lot of things that the previous manager was doing and you’re getting results. So that’s Carlo’s genius, getting the best out of players and making it simple.”
Whether Ancelotti would be prepared to accept the position is a different question entirely. Speaking last year, the Italian made his stance on returning to club management crystal clear.
“Real Madrid is the only team I will accept managing after Brazil,” he said.
Alongside Real Madrid, Ancelotti has also had spells with the likes of Everton, Napoli, Bayern Munich, PSG, Chelsea, Milan, Juventus and Parma.
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