Carrick confirms Manchester United commitment (SN)

Midfielder Michael Carrick has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United FC which will keep him at the UEFA Champions League finalists until June 2012.

The 26-year-old England international has played in eleven of United's 12 matches in the competition this season and will hope to help the club claim the European Champions Clubs' Cup for the third time with victory against Chelsea FC at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. Carrick, who joined United for €27m from Tottenham Hotspur FC in 2006, has already helped the club to their second successive Premier League title this season, and said: “This is a fantastic club and it is a pleasure to be part of this great squad. I believe this team will be together for many years to come and to win back-to-back titles in my first two seasons at the club is a dream come true.”

Carrick joins Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, who also pledged their long-term futures to United in recent weeks, in signing a new deal, and Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted to be keeping the nucleus of his squad together. “Michael has been outstanding since joining us and it is great he will be a part of this squad for years to come,” said the United manager, who will be seeking to win his fifth European trophy in Moscow having won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999 and 1991 respectively with his current club and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup with Aberdeen FC in 1983.