Michael Carrick has become the first Manchester United figure to speak publicly since Manchester City were found guilty of almost every Premier League financial charge, saying no medal would ever bring back the feeling of the titles he missed out on.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of United's match with Tottenham, Carrick revealed he had his own questions about the verdict handed down to City by the independent commission.
Carrick's emotional response
The panel's report stated that £830million was invested into City by the owners to secretly fund sponsorship deals, using the word "sham" on eight occasions in a 40-page report.
One of the possible sanctions is stripping City of some of the titles they won between 2009 and 2018, which would directly affect United and Carrick. United finished second to City in 2011/12, when a team featuring Carrick missed out on the title on goal difference, and they finished runners-up to the Blues in 2017/18, in what was Carrick's final season as a player, although he did not play enough games to earn a medal.
"When you're in football you strive to win and the emotion and feeling of it is in the moment, whether you're successful or it goes against you, the beauty of sport is the journey towards it and the finale," said Carrick.
"Once that is done there is no getting that back in any direction. That's the feeling we all crave. That kind of sums it up, it's done in the past, it's how you feel in that moment.
"It doesn't change how you feel in the moment. You can't take that back. Whatever way this goes, you can't take the moment back. If we did end up with something down the line, it doesn't change the emotion of the moment, you can't get it back, you won't get it back."
Questions remain over City appeal
Carrick spoke earnestly about the City case, taking time between answering questions and showing the odd flicker of emotion. He was asked whether he wanted a medal from the titles he missed out on to City, particularly 2011/12, when he played on the final day at Sunderland, only for City to snatch the trophy with Sergio Aguero's iconic goal.
The 45-year-old suggested he would deliver a concrete answer on that once City's appeal had played out, but again reiterated that the moment had passed, suggesting the lost memories of celebrating the success were the most costly element of City's cheating.
"It's not finalised, I'll hold that one until later on," said Carrick. "The medal, anyway, in any sport, the moment you get it, it's the moment you strive for, the medal here or there doesn't bring the feeling of whether you win or don't back."
While City have appealed the commission's verdict, Carrick said a quick solution was now essential.
"It's thrown up a lot of questions, some have had answers, some haven't," he said. "There's only so much I can say, but I've got my own questions about it, it's affected me personally in different ways.
"As the case is going now we don't know where that stands. The sooner it gets sorted, the better for everyone, it's essential. There are so many angles to look at from so many different perspectives. We need to be able to move on. It's a unique situation to be in, such a huge impact in so many ways. We all need to know what is going to happen."
