Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted with the form since the New Year of midfielder Michael Carrick.

The midfielder has been excellent for the Reds this term and could even be a contender for the club's Player of the Year award.

"I think Michael and [Paul] Scholes are a good partnership," stated the manager. "Michael's form for quite a while has been absolutely superb. He always does well in the second half of the season. I know he disagrees with me on this but I feel the second half of the season sees him at his best and he's doing well so it's pleasing.

"He's not one of the guys who seeks publicity a lot. He's a quiet lad and goes about his life in a similar way to [Ryan Giggs] and Scholes. That doesn't mean to say he's not recognised by us. We get players like that - Denis Irwin was much the same.

"I think it's quite refreshing in the modern game to have players who can rely on their ability rather than wanting to project themselves. He has a different personality, a quiet personality and that can be misleading in the way that people think he has to be encouraged all the time. That's not the case. He's just quiet."