Michael Carrick feels ready to take charge of Middlesbrough.

Carrick, 41, insists his three games unbeaten as caretaker at Manchester United convinced him he has what it takes to lead struggling Boro up the Championship table.

Aasked if he is capable of a Fergie-esque dressing-room tantrum, Carrick said: “If needs be, yes!

“I have got a real stubborn streak so if that's the case, so be it.

“I had to do it at certain times as a player and that's how it is as a coach.

“It's not about being a nice guy with a happy face all the time."

But on whether he would adopt Sir Alex Ferguson's menacing persona full time, Carrick joked: “Do I look like an angry Scotsman?

“You've got to be your own person.

“Society and social circles are very different now to what they were some time ago, should I say.

“You've got to treat individuals differently — which he did in different ways, so I learned a lot from that.

“I've got to trust my instincts and not try to copy too much.

“But I've spoken to Sir Alex a few times, and he spoke a lot about being your own man and sticking to your beliefs.

“I've spoken to him more since I stopped playing — I didn't want to get too close to him as a player!"

When he hung up his boots in 2018 — after a playing career that saw him clinch, among others, one Champions League trophy and FIVE Prem titles — coached under Jose Mourinho at United.

He was then part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's backroom team before the Norwegian was sacked, with Carrick taking the reins for three games.

Wins against Villarreal and Arsenal, and a draw against Chelsea followed before taking a ten-month spell out of football.

And Carrick added: “That spell in charge of United gave me confidence to know I am ready.

“It was a learning curve but not far away from what I'd been doing — taking a lot of meetings and training.

“Man United was my life. It was a huge part of my life and you get attached.

“I felt comfortable in the caretaker role but you have to step away and make your own way."