Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the reason why he signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham.

The Scotsman spent £16m to bring the midfielder to Old Trafford in 2006, and he says it was Carrick's early career move from Newcastle to West Ham that convinced him he would be a 'big success'.

Speaking before Carrick's testimonial, Ferguson said: "One of the things that stuck out to me when we were profiling him and preparing to make a bid was that as a young boy, 16 years of age, he left home to play for West Ham.

"That tells you that the boy had the confidence that he was going to make it. A 16-year-old kid from Newcastle going to east London, that's a trek, and it impressed me.

"From the minute we bought Michael in 2006, his character has always been outstanding. He's a football man and that character, coupled with his ability, made him a certainty to be a big success at United."

Carrick has made 459 appearances for United and has recently signed a new one-year deal with the club.