Why Carrick chose West Ham over Newcastle

Michael Carrick's love of the game was quickly apparent when he was profiled on the BBC's Saturday morning children's television show Live & Kicking in 1995.

Seated in front of the camera in a Newcastle shirt and surrounded by posters of his idols, including Peter Beardsley, viewers might have felt he was destined to one day represent his boyhood club.

Newcastle had even attempted to pull out one or two stops to convince Carrick to join.

Beardsley presented Carrick with a cake on his 13th birthday at St James' Park while the youngster was invited to play in the prestigious Milk Cup youth tournament a year early.

However, that trip to Northern Ireland left a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons after a few of the players 'borrowed' a Mini and drove it around a car park.

Carrick ultimately felt more comfortable at West Ham - a long way from home - after spending time touring a host of suitors across the country.

Although local talents like Lee Clark, Steve Howey, Steve Watson and Robbie Elliott had made the breakthrough into Newcastle's first-team squad, at the time the club did not even have a reserve side.

By contrast, at West Ham, there was a clear pathway - and Carrick never looked back.

This future England international went on to play for the Hammers and Tottenham Hotspur before joining Manchester United, where he won 18 trophies, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.