Jamie Redknapp reveals surprise Sir Jim Ratcliffe plan for Man Utd boss - The Mirror

Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick until the end of the year with Steve Holland his assistant - leading to suggestions Gareth Southgate could be tempted in the future

Jamie Redknapp believes Manchester United landing Steve Holland as their assistant manager could be a subplot to getting Gareth Southgate in at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have bought in Michael Carrick as their boss until the end of the season, and surrounded him with some impressive thinkers. Holland is among those with the former Chelsea and England No 2 bringing a wealth of experience.

His most impressive work came alongside Southgate at England, helping them reach two major tournament finals. They left their roles in the aftermath of Euro 2024 and Southgate hasn't had another managerial gig since.

The former England boss has been linked with the job in Manchester in the past. He was championed by Dan Ashworth, formerly part of the hierarchy at Old Trafford, and Redknapp claims getting Holland could lead to Southgate eventually being appointed.

He told Sky Sports: "The first thing everyone is now doing is putting two and two together and saying 'he worked with Gareth Southgate.' I actually think, if they could get that appointment done, I think Gareth Southgate would be their choice. I just think the fans wouldn't want that and that's the difficulty. I think Jim Ratcliffe would like Gareth Southgate but I just don't think it will happen."

Carrick will be the man making the decisions for now. He served as assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then had three matches in charge after the Norwegian's sacking - going unbeaten in that time. His immediate remit will be Champions League qualification.

"I think it's a sensible appointment," said Redknapp. "You talk about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who had done it before as an interim. He did well. I thought this is the more sensible one out of the two. I've met Michael and played against him. He's a student of the game. He knows the game inside out. I think he's just got to do his best to get them into the top four or five.

"If he achieves Champions League football I think that would be a great achievement for him. He did a really good job at Middlesbrough. He didn't quite get them into the Premier League, so I think he'll do a good job."

Carrick, despite only being in charge until the end of the season, is among the favourites for the job at his former club. Despite only being a stop gap the club have shown that they will change course if results dictate. Solskjaer was only an interim in 2018 but his impressive form saw him land the job permanently.

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