Manchester United transfer news: Jose Mourinho confirms offering coaching role to Michael Carrick

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed he has offered a coaching role to midfielder Michael Carrick and confirmed that even the board and the club owners are backing his decision.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has made only one appearance in all competitions so far this season, which came in the Red Devils' 4-1 win over Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup clash in September. Carrick later admitted that he felt "strange" in the second half against the Championship side.

The 36-year-old confirmed on Friday, 24 November, that his absence from the Red Devils squad since September was due to his "irregular heart rhythm". The 36-year-old went on to add that he has now recovered from his heart procedure and has set his sights on returning to the pitch.

The Englishman signed a one-year contract extension in the summer, and the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager subsequently made Carrick United's captain following Wayne Rooney's departure from Old Trafford – to Everton.

Mourinho stressed the importance of Carrick at United and admitted that the player was aware of the coaching role made available to him at the club.

"Michael, as a person, is more important than Michael as a player," said the boss. "We gave him the time to relax, to recover, to feel confident, to make the decision [when he] wants to play, [when he] wants to stop," Mourinho told United's official website.

"He knows that my coaching staff has the chair for him if he wants. When he wants the chair, it is there in the office for him. I want that, the board wants that and the owner wants that. So Michael is in a comfortable situation. His future will be with us.

"But he wants to be a player until the end of the season and now he feels confident to be back and now he is training back with us. So [he is] one more option for us, we need players and Michael wants to play, so I am happy with that."