Michael Carrick knew when promotion fever had gripped Middlesbrough - it was the moment kids started chasing him down the street on bikes.
The Manchester United legend joked: “It was a struggle to outrun them! There was no one when I first started, and there were six of them this week!
“The sheer joy of the younger people and how excited they are has reminded me of the genuine excitement I had about football when I was a kid. The atmosphere and energy.”
Carrick leads Boro out in the play-off semi final on Sunday hoping to use all his experience of 11 major trophy wins to get his team over the line against Coventry, and to Wembley.
Naturally there have been calls to former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Carrick adds: “I speak to him quite a bit and he is always there giving bits of help on the way. It is more of a friendship thing and it is nice to have that ability.”
But in the dug out he’s doing things fine his own way. A quieter calmer version of Fergie, giving guidance to the likes of Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer.
He’s taken Boro from 21st in the Championship to fourth and now the play-offs and said: “I've genuinely loved it. The day-to-day you are engrossed in it, but there is still an enjoyment to it. It comes down to results though really and achieving things.
"When you win it's great, but when you lose it's important not to think of it as the end of the world. It's more looking back and working out what went well, rather than enjoying every moment.
"Initially I went straight into coaching because Jose gave me that opportunity at Manchester United. That was the path I took from there. You take the opportunities in front of you and I could not have envisaged the way it has gone since retiring. I've just kinda gone with it and tried to enjoy it.”
Middlesbrough is inspired by its football team again, with an in-demand young coach, and Carrick says getting in touch with the fans base was important.
He added: “You have to understand what people are after, what they want, what type of team they want to see, what type of feeling the supporters want from their club. It's important to have that connection. You can't buy that, you can't fake it.
“We have that connection here (including ex-boss Jon Woodgate on his staff) and it's a huge part of what we have done. You don't always get that as a manager.”
Carrick doesn’t regard reaching the play-offs as an achievement. That will come if they win at Wembley and reach the top flight. But he has caught the eye of other clubs, being linked with some top jobs including West Ham and Spurs.
Asked about being the next big thing, he’s modest, replying: “These days time is something people haven’t got. Everyone is desperate for the next thing, that instant whatever in life, be it a manager or next thing online.
“It has to be quick, and everything is so extreme. I am enjoying what I am doing, loving it here and trying to make the place as good as I can. I am learning and developing and patience is a great thing if you can have it.”
Boro have had a mini reset after qualifying for the play-offs early. He added: I didn’t have a goal when I came in. I wanted to improve and see where it took us.
“Before we think of promotion we have to get to the final. Of course it would mean everything but there are big obstacles in front of us even though it would be amazing, fantastic to achieve that.
“It is more being the best we can be. The feeling changes because we know what is at stake and we will address that in terms of being ready and building a performance.
“I believe 100 per cent in my players, trust them totally and I am over the moon with the squad I have got. It is about who does it on the day. Hopefully we are good enough. We have threats, we cause teams problems.”
