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Michael Carrick's wife called Roy Keane a '****' while her husband hid depression and had secret heart surgery - now Jose Mourinho's quiet student could be new Man United boss

Michael Carrick's worst day on a football pitch took him two years to get over.

The ever-reliable, chronically underrated defensive midfielder rose to head the ball inside the Stadio Olimpico. It was loose, but not careless. Not dangerous. Yet this was Barcelona at the peak of their powers and, within seconds, Andres Iniesta had carried possession from the centre circle to the edge of the box, feeding Samuel Eto'o to stab the ball past Edwin van der Sar and put Man United behind in the Champions League final inside 10 minutes.

Lionel Messi doubled the lead in the second-half and, with that, United's European crown had been ruthlessly ripped away.