MICHAEL CARRICK: SOME REFS ARE LIKE A RUDE SCHOOLMASTER. THEY WAVE YOU AWAY, AND THERE'S A BARRIER - THAT BUGS ME!

                                        

WHAT I can't stand is when you try and talk to a ref and he's just dismissive, almost like a rude schoolmaster. . . " 

So says former Manchester United and England footballer Michael Carrick in his autobiography, Between The Lines. 

He continues: "I don't pay much attention to refs usually - they're doing their job.

"Generally I'm  going up to them because something's happened.

 "If the balls gone out of play, and it's  a goal kick, I'll jog over to the ref say calmly: "Oh, by the way, how did you not see that?"

This observation, of course, begs the question: why would any referee want to respond to such a snidely-worded comment?

How, having missed a tackle or misplaced a pass, would Carrick have reacted if the referee jogged up to him and passed a similarly critical comment?

Would he have wanted to engage in a cordial conversation with the man in the middle?

But let Carrick continue. "Some refs don't want to know. Surely there's got to be a little bit of conversation.

"'No, go away - get out of my face!'

"They wave you away, and there's a barrier straightaway, and that bugs me.

"I'm not saying the ref has to explain every decision but some communication would be good.

"I'm just trying to understand the rationale behind their decision.

"Some will have a chat but others don't give you the time of day."

Co-written with Henry Winter,  chief football writer on The Times, Carrick's autobiography is a brisk and readable, if somewhat lacklustre account of a worthy player whose career took in West Ham, Swindon (on loan) and Spurs, thence to Manchester United where he enjoyed much trophy-winning success.

The holding midfielder also played a few matches for England, but his international career was blighted by injury, homesickness and lack of confidence.

Any reader hoping, Carrick might open the lid on football or provide revealing insights will be disappointed. There is nothing really headline-grabbing or even mischievous.

Chunks  of the narrative amount to fulsome  praise (almost hero worship) for  the likes of Ian Wright, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce, Gary Neville, Christiano Ronaldo, Edwin van der Saar, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, "Giggsy" and numerous of his other Man U team-mates.

Of Lionel Messi, he says: "Some players have speed, some a footballing brain and others a velvet touch, but what makes Messi unique is that he possesses all three." 

Carrick  is also remarkably generous in his acclaim both for Man U fans and for most of the managers under whom he played.

Sir Alex Ferguson is hailed as a "genius", and he is also warm and appreciative about The Boss’ three hapless (relatively speaking) successors, David Moyes , Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

Even the club's former chief executive, David Gill, comes in for plaudits. "David had this aura that commanded respect from everyone -  an authority figure, but very likeable with it.

"He did things with a touch of class."

Not that Gill will be very pleased by one particular section.

"If David got on the bus after an away game, you'd hear The Boss (Ferguson)  behind us hammering David.

"'David, we should be doing something about these refs.' 

"David was on the board of the FA who were in charge of refs.

"He would sit there, listen patiently taking in all The Boss's complaints."

This will only fuel the widely-held suspicion, always denied by Gill, that there was a conflict of interest between his roles at Man U and the FA.

In fairness, the author does have favourable words for two referees, the Italian, Pierluigi Collina, and Mark Clattenburg whom he knows well (they both grew up in the North-east).

Of the latter, he says: "He refereed me in local cup finals. He is only six years older than me. 

"He was a good ref - you could talk to Mark."

What are Carrick's interests outside football? Chiefly family, golf and Formula One.

To the author's credit, proceeds of sales of his book are going to the Michael Carrick Foundation - a young people's charity.

Between The Lines (Blink Publishing) is available wherever books are sold.