Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Michael Carrick's commitment to football has been the biggest reason behind the midfielder's success at the club.

The 35-year-old joined the Red Devils from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, and 11 years later, he still remains a key player in the United squad.

Sir Alex is set to take charge of the Man Utd 2008 XI in Carrick's testimonial game at Old Trafford on June 4.

"From the minute, we bought him, his character has always been absolutely outstanding," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"He's a football man and that character, plus his ability, made him a certainty to be a big success here.

"When we were discussing him and were ready to make a bid, we were looking at his background and one of the things that stuck out to me was as a young boy, he went down to play for West Ham.

"A 16-year-old kid going way down from Newcastle to east London – that's a trek, and it epitomised to me the confidence the boy had in himself. That impressed me.

"Geordies do travel," he continued.

"You think of Shearer at Southampton as a kid, Bryan Robson as a kid at West Brom; Sir Bobby Charlton came here when he was 15 years of age.

"They have got a big thing about them, Geordies, in terms of travelling as they want to be players. It's a great football area.

"The Wallsend Boys' Club he came from has produced so many fantastic footballers."