'I Am a Better Player' Romelu Lukaku Thanks Michael Carrick for Helping Him Improve on the Pitch

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has admitted that Michael Carrick has made him a 'better player' over the last year, and has wished the now retired midfielder well in the future as he transitions to a coaching role at Old Trafford.

Carrick has received a lot of praise from various people since he announced he would retire at the end of last season. From current players, to former teammates, and even his manager Jose Mourinho - they've all recognised his brilliance.

The latest to do so is Lukaku, who claims that the work the pair have done together off the pitch has been hugely beneficial.

“Michael – first of all, I want to say a big thank you for what you’ve done for me since January,” Lukaku told the club's official website.

“I mean not a lot of people will know that now we do video sessions after every single game to prepare for the next game and, like I've said, sometimes you think those video sessions don’t help me going forward. But they do because I became a better player and I became a better version of myself.

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"I think it also starts in training when we do the extra bits and the extra exercises to become a better player. Your eye for detail really helped me a lot more. I’ve had a lot of mentors in my young career and you’re certainly one of them."

Next term sees Carrick become the striker's coach at United, something Lukaku seems to be looking forward to.

“I hope you can continue this process next season. It will be a joy to work with you and the staff next season. Hopefully, I can improve on the bits and pieces that you want me to improve on.

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"Good luck after your career and I hope to see you in pre-season so we can start a new chapter in the work that we do.“