Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick says Sir Alex Ferguson has given advice amid his first role as a manager.

Carrick won eerything in the game under Ferguson at Manchester United.

Speaking ahead of Boro's encounter at Sheffield United on Wednesday night, Carrick said: "I speak to him quite regularly.

"I saw him last week at my dinner for my Foundation. I had a good chat to him. He is pleased things are going well for me – a few pointers here and there, which he always does. That was nice.

"He was calm in terms of knowing what he wanted, he knew exactly what he was doing, He was quite calculating in terms of what emotions to use. Quite clever in terms of that. There was always a reason behind his mood and his attitude towards the players to get the response he needed. But I learnt a lot from him that way in terms of how to get the best out of players."