Manchester United appoint Connor King as assistant goalkeeping coach under Carrick

Manchester United have officially appointed Connor King as assistant first-team goalkeeping coach, the club announced on Thursday, adding a second specialist to Michael Carrick’s coaching setup.

King joins from Burnley, where he held various coaching roles from 2018 onwards. He cut short his playing career — having joined Burnley’s academy at the age of 11 and earned England caps at Under-16 level — to pursue a path in coaching.

He will work under lead goalkeeper coach Craig Mawson, who was the only senior coaching staff member retained by Carrick following Ruben Amorim’s departure. King was already present at Carrington before the formal announcement, helping to oversee the goalkeepers’ warm-up ahead of last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Carrick’s backroom staff now consists of Steve Holland (assistant manager), Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion (all first-team coaches), alongside Mawson and King in the goalkeeping roles. The club believes the group carries a strong blend of skillsets and personalities, and those who have observed sessions at Carrington have noted a positive dynamic among the staff.

When asked in August whether he might bring in a set-piece coach, Carrick was dismissive. “I never said that,” he replied, and when pressed on whether it was something he would consider, he added: “No, we’re good with the coaching group.”

The appointment comes at a difficult moment for United on the pitch. Carrick’s side have collected just five points from five Premier League games — against Hull, Ipswich Town, Everton, Manchester City and Fulham — leaving them 12th in the table.

United now face a 20-day break due to the extended international window before hosting Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October, a fixture that has already been framed as a pivotal test for Carrick’s tenure.