Former Liverpool hero wants Carrick’s right-hand man to ditch United and join him, INEOS will be livid – report

Manchester United’s incredible resurgence in 2026 led to INEOS tweaking their managerial plans. With Ruben Amorim dismissed, the co-owners placed Michael Carrick in charge. Carrick opted to bring in his own backroom staff, including Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate. The caretaker head coach had an immediate impact and from sixth when Amorim was sacked, the Red Devils ended up finishing third in the Premier League. As a result, United gave Carrick the permanent gig and, on his insistence, the entire coaching staff also earned new long-term deals. Steve Holland was influential under Carrick Steve Holland has earned plaudits for his experience and keen eye for detail during training, and naturally, Carrick advocated for his assistant to be given a new deal. However, journalist Alan Nixon (via his Patreon) has claimed that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard wants to prise away the former England coach as he looks to set up his own backroom staff. The former midfielder, who has been without a job since he left Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in early 2025, is eying a return to management in England. The 46-year-old is “in the frame to go to Burnley” and he is on the lookout for an experienced assistant, which is why he is planning an “ambitious move” for Steve Holland. Gerrard wants him at Burnley Gerrard’s former assistant at Rangers, Mick Beale, is now in charge of Belgian side Zulte Waregem, which is why he is “on the lookout for a new sidekick”. Armed with parachute payments, the Clarets are expected to bounce straight back up to the English top flight, but Holland has compelling reasons not to join the ex-England international. United are set to return to the Champions League after a gap of two years, and with INEOS backing Carrick to the hilt, great things are expected from the 20-time English league champions in the next campaign. And surely, Steve Holland, who was a childhood United fan, would prefer to stick around for that instead of acting as a helping hand at Turf Moor in the Championship. Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25