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 adler looks for Carrick reaction
Geoff Hurst might not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of Michael Carrick – but England’s 1966 hat-trick hero might just be a source of inspiration to the United midfielder. Carrick, who was many pundits’ pick to be a high-profile casualty of Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad, is in South Africa – albeit by the skin of his teeth. United legend and former England international David Sadler believes the World Cup will provide Carrick with the opportunity not only to salvage his England career, but also his Old Trafford one. The 1968 European Cup winner, who was a late omission from Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1970 squad – having made the provisional 28 – cites Hurst as a classic example of an unlikely hero emerging from the pack. The former West Ham striker was merely understudy to the great Jimmy Greaves at the start of the tournament in ‘66, but emerged as the hero when his three Wembley goals  fired England to their only ever World Cup victory. It’s hard to imagine Carrick matching that, but Sadler insists the comparison holds true. “Why not?” he says. “Often the team that starts the tournament doesn’t look a lot like the one that ends it. There are lots of examples of unlikely heroes coming through. It’s not always the 11 best individuals that make up a World Cup winning squad. The important thing for Carrick is that he’s there. He’s made it into the squad and while if everyone is fit I can’t see him getting into the starting line-up, should he get the opportunity, he’s got to grab it with both hands. It could be so important for his career. It’s not only England that he’s fighting to be involved with, it’s also United.”
Staff reporter, Manchester Evening News

The papers are dominated by Rafael Benitez's departure from Liverpool with Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and Martin O'Neill all linked with the Anfield hotseat.

Wayne Rooney has been named Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for 2010 after a fantastic season for United.

It's the second time he's won the award, as voted for by United fans around the world, following his original success in 2006.

He won by a landslide this year, receiving 83 per cent of the votes cast on ManUtd.com. Patrice Evra and Antonio Valencia were in second and third place respectively.

Rooney is the first Englishman to be named United's Player of the Year since Teddy Sheringham in 2001. Should he retain it in 2011, he'll become only the second man to win it three times, emulating Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2007 and 2008).

Wayne's club accolade completes a personal Player of the Year hat-trick for this season, after his peers in the PFA and the nation's top football journalists in the FWA also made him their top man for 2009/10.

He also won a hat-trick of club awards on Tuesday night, collecting the Players' Player of the Year accolade from Sir Alex Ferguson and also the Goal of the Season trophy for his strike on the counter-attack against Arsenal on 31 January.

"I was a bit surprised I got Goal of the Season," Wayne told MUTV. "To win both the players’ and fans’ Player of the Year is a great feeling and it’s something I’m very proud of.”