Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick left Tottenham on football director Damien Comolli's recommendation, it has been revealed.

The Observer says it was Commoli who told chairman Daniel Levy that the club could dispense with Carrick because he believed Didier Zokora was a better player.

Carrick was happy at Spurs and was seeking a pay-rise from &pond;25,000-a-week to £40,000-a-week. He was laughed out of the room and told to re-sign on Spurs' terms, or be sold.

The Geordie, who wanted to stay, felt unwanted. He then discovered Sir Alex Ferguson was interested in him. At that season's Premier League annual meeting, David Gill of Manchester United put in a £10million bid and Levy dismissed it. The club denied at the time there had been an approach and have always insisted that Carrick was sold because he wanted to leave. He did, in the end - but only because he was so disenchanted at the way he had been treated.