Michael Carrick has said the Manchester United fan who has refused to get his hair cut until the team wins five games in a row has made him “smile” after being made aware of the viral sensation by his children.
Supporter Frank Ilett has amassed more than two million followers on social media by documenting his journey since Oct. 2024.
It’s been more than 500 days since Ilett cut his hair as the wait for five consecutive wins has dragged on.
United have not won five games in a row since February 2024, but Carrick and his team have the chance to finally get Ilett his trim when they face West Ham at the London Stadium on Tuesday.
“I can say I’m aware of it, yeah,” Carrick said.
“My kids have made me aware of it, if anything, but it certainly won’t go into the team talk from a professional level.
“I can understand what’s going on with it and it does make me smile but it won’t have an impact ultimately in the end.”
Michael Carrick acknowledged Manchester United fan Frank Ilett who has gone viral on social media. Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
The more serious business for Carrick is the hunt for Champions League football.
Four consecutive wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham have pushed United into the top four, a point clear of Chelsea in fifth.
After the trip to West Ham, Carrick has his players have a 12-day break before returning to action at Everton on Feb. 23 due to their early exit from the FA Cup.
“You definitely take the confidence and the feeling from the games that you’ve had knowing you can go into the next game with a little bit more feel-good factor about it,” Carrick said.
“I guess the big challenge is knowing what’s got you there and all the hard work and the preparation and then what it takes to win a game of football at this level is tough, so never assuming the next one’s just going to be alright.”
Carrick is set to be without Mason Mount again against West Ham as the England midfielder continues his recovery from injury.
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Mount has missed the last two games, but could return for the trip to Everton.
“Mason will be probably not for Tuesday, probably after, but definitely going into the Everton game, yeah, he’ll be back,” Carrick said.
“Matthijs [De Ligt], we’ll see how he develops over the Everton game. It feels like a long time away at the moment, so we’ll see how he develops, but he’s positive.
“He’s moving in the right direction, but Mason’s a little bit closer than him.”
