Michael Carrick says Manchester United stand for ‘equality and diversity’ after Sir Jim Ratcliffe controversy

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Michael Carrick spoke about the ways in which Manchester United embraces inclusivity and respect for all cultures after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's controversial interview. The Red Devils boss believes the club's foundations are set on these principles, as he addressed the media before United's Premier League clash against Everton on Monday night.

Carrick proud of 'equality, diversity, respect' at Man Utd after Ratcliffe comments

Video credit: SNTV

Michael Carrick believes Manchester United represents the epitome of "equality and diversity" in light of the controversy surrounding Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent comments.

The club’s part-owner stated that the United Kingdom had been "colonised by immigrants" in an interview with Sky News earlier this month.

These comments have been met by widespread condemnation from the club’s supporters' groups, anti-racism organisations and the Prime Minister.

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However, it has since been confirmed that Ratcliffe will not face any charges from the Football Association in relation to the comments.

The governing body has reportedly advised the INEOS founder of his football responsibilities when being interviewed, after examining whether the comments brought the game into disrepute.

Interim manager Carrick did not reference those comments directly, but took the opportunity to praise the way in which United embraces people of all cultures.

He said in his pre-match press conference: "I'm proud of what the club stands for and has done for so long. I'm really aware of that.

"Sir Jim made his statement and the club made a statement on the back of it. It is not my place to add to that.

"What I can say is that I have been around this club many years.Equality and diversity and respect for each other is something we look to carry through every day.

"I have travelled the world and know what this club means to an awful lot of people.

"I am fully aware of the responsibility, and we try to carry that out every day. I am proud of what the club stands for and has done for so long."

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The Red Devils boss believes the club’s worldwide fanbase makes it even more important to stand by these values.

"I think part of being at this club is that we understand what it's like globally and the responsibilities we have within this," Carrick added.

"I can only speak from my personal experiences of being here for a long time with various managers, with various staff.

"The supporters have largely probably stayed the same, but we have gathered some new ones over the years, from all different backgrounds. It's something we're fully aware of, and I am."

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Turning matters back to the pitch, Carrick spoke about how he has managed the squad ahead of their first match in 13 days against Everton on Monday night.

"The boys have trained a bit, had a few days off, and trained a bit again, which keeps the balance and keeps the rhythm going.

"Moving forward, the fixtures have thrown up some mixture of gaps between games really. So [it’s] just adjusting and adapting, and we'll see what kind of comes with that, especially with the international [break] coming up.

"So, we'll manage it as we go, but we'll obviously try and make the best of it."

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