The last among Manchester United's 2008 Champions League winning squad has announced that he’ll retire at the end of this season.

He may not be the fastest, neither is he the most skillful nor silkiest but his presence makes things click, tick and function as if under a deific influence. It is his eagle-eye vision, ability to dictate the tempo of the game, anticipate for the ball in defense and attack, and make key decisions as to where to put the next pass that often puts him in a league of his own.

Sadly, even though these are more than enough to earn him a spot on the elite list of midfielders, his prowess is barely recognized by latter-day football fans. The subject in question goes by the name Michael Carrick, and he will be missing from the active football scene, come 2018/2019 season.

Having been a sine qua non in the success story of Manchester United for over a decade, the former Tottenham Hotspur man has officially announced that he will hang his boot at the end of the season. What this means is that, the last golden leaf in Sir. Alex Ferguson’s 2008 Champions League winning squad will fall off in May. 

For many who have followed the silent maturity of the Englishman, claiming that he’s merely one of the best midfielders to have played for Manchester United will be a gross understatement. His horizon simply stretches beyond the oval cauldron of Old Trafford. Football in contemporary times is such that players who fail to bang in goals week in and out fall to the curb and get overlooked very quickly when efforts are to be applauded.

But for Michael Carrick, the role he assumed in his early development days put him directly on the path to be marginalized. Having been dubbed as the direct replacement for the veteran Roy Keane and claiming his predecessor’s legendary No. 16, the expedition that was to be embarked on by him wasn’t a simple stroll in the park. 

However, despite numerous shortcomings, the unperturbed defensive midfielder alongside Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and co, provided the backbone to spur Manchester United to a host of titles between 2006 and 2013 – the year Sir Alex retired. The succeeding years have come with their own limitations and, despite inconsistent performances mostly attributed to the fact that he’s aging, Michael Carrick has never shied away from his duties whenever called upon. 

With five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three Football League Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League title, one FIFA Club World Cup, six Community Shields, and one FA Youth Cup, it's been, without doubt, a fulfilling career and one worth celebrating for the current Manchester United skipper.

On the personal level, Carrick featured in the Football League’s First Division PFA Team of the Year in 2004, won the Manchester United Players' Player of the Year for the 2012/2013 season, and also featured in the Premier League’s PFA Team of the Year for the starring role he played in helping Manchester United to clinching its 20th EPL title in the 2012/2013 season. Again, underrated and undervalued!