Carrick reveals team talk before Liverpool clash and how he inspired Man Utd players

Michael Carrick has revealed what he said to the Manchester United players before the clash against Liverpool which inspired them to victory.

United have qualified for the Champions League which appeared a distant dream before Christmas with the team struggling under Ruben Amorim.

But Carrick has come in and along with his backroom staff has taken the team onto a new level.

They have now qualified for Europe's elite competition and it is hard to imagine how the club won't now give the managerial role to Carrick full time.

United squandered a two goal lead against Liverpool, but Kobbie Mainoo was on hand to score the decisive third at Old Trafford on Sunday.

And Carrick afterwards that he tried to give the players confidence going into the game and he told them how good they were.

He said about the way the team has taken to his managerial style: "The boys have responded really well, I think it comes with trust, how you treat each other and the belief in them and we spoke before the game about how much belief we have in them.

"We tried to give them that confidence to go and play. They are really good players and it can be a really good team when we put things in place and that has proven to be the case."

And on the result, Carrick continued: "There was a lot today to be happy with and proud, we though with the players they (Liverpool) had available that they would try and overload the midfield and it was going to be a good challenge for us to close the space through the middle of the pitch.

"We've got some really dangerous forwards but we are asking them to do a lot of work without the ball as well and that is part of being a good team."

Carrick says that he feels "quite natural" in the role of manager, when asked about his future.

"It’s been a good run I think we’ve obviously beaten some very good teams and it has been challenging, some ways we have won in one way and sometimes in other ways," said Carrick.

"I love doing what I am doing, it is a great position to be in, it feels quite natural if I’m not being blaze as it is a difficult role, but it feels like I’ve been here a long time, in different times on and off but I understand what it means to be sat in this position."

Carrick isn't getting carried away with the results so far and believes that qualifying for the Champions League is only a "step".

"To get in the Champions League with three games to go is a good achievement, I see it as just a step though, we are not over celebrating it, whatever will happen will happen, I can only do my best for the club and the players especially and try and help them as best we can and see what happens after that," he said.

"It’s a big step, there are signs of improvement and being in the position where we are with three games to go, there is a lot of satisfaction which comes with that but that can’t be everything.

"There has to be a lot of credit for the staff and the players for doing that but we want a lot more and that is the message to push on and keep improving."