Michael Carrick has signed a one-year contract extension at Manchester United.

Carrick has been one of Louis van Gaal's best players since he returned from an ankle injury he suffered last summer.

The 33-year-old's contract was due to run out in June, but the club confirmed at a press conference on Friday that the midfielder had extended his current deal by 12 months.

United manager Van Gaal was delighted that his vice-captain had committed his future to the club.

"He is for me my second captain behind Wayne Rooney and he can also read the game as a team player so that's very important," Van Gaal said.

"He has also an excellent pass forward. I like as a manager passers forward so that's very important for me.

"He is an important part of my selection."

Carrick scored the second and set up Marouane Fellaini for the opener in United's 3-0 win over Tottenham last Sunday.

After eight months of trying, everything finally clicked into place for Van Gaal's men.

They played with width, pace, and flair as they swept three goals past Hugo Lloris in little over 35 minutes.

Van Gaal was delighted with his team's performance, but he says it will count for nothing unless his men beat Liverpool in Sunday's grudge match at Anfield.

"We played very good in the first half and it was also good to have an evaluation that is very positive," the Dutchman said.

"It's also good for the players. But it says nothing when you lose the next match.

"But the next match is against Liverpool and Liverpool is not the ground that Manchester United has won a lot (at) so when we show it again in Liverpool then we are a little bit further (along), I believe."

Follow this weekend’s match with World Soccer Talk & INPLAY

Whether you’re following this weekend’s match live in the stadium, watching it in the pub or following it on your phone, INPLAY makes your football experience better.

INPLAY is a fantastic new social messaging app with a unique football twist – think WhatsApp for football – that allows you to interact with friends and like-minded supporters (with private chats and open groups) and the option to share images and videos via your phone.

You also get access to the latest football stories, filtered and personalized based on your preferences (favorite team, location, interests) right at your fingertips.

There’s a lot more to the app that’s best experienced rather than explained, so go ahead and click here to download the app for FREE on iPhone or Android.

Join World Soccer Talk @ INPLAY

World Soccer Talk will be covering the game live through INPLAY this weekend. Make sure to download and sign up to the INPLAY app and the use this HUXZN to join the World Soccer Talk chatroom. We will have all the stats, news updates and much more for you through INPLAY and here on World Soccer Talk.

Click here to download the app for FREE on iPhone or Android.

Get started now and don’t forget to launch the app for in-match discussion during this weekend’s games!