Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that this could well be club captain Michael Carrick's last season at Old Trafford and has called on a new generation of leaders to step up to the plate.

The former Chelsea boss has been speaking about the changing leadership roles in his squad since the departure of Wayne Rooney to Everton and noted that this could be the last year for Carrick.

"Now it is time for other people to come up," Mourinho told the Press Association's Simon Peach during their pre-season tour of America.

"Knowing that probably it is Michael Carrick's last year,

"The people that are behind [Carrick] they have to prepare themselves."

Carrick, who played his testimonial at the end of last season also penned a new one-year deal last term and was named skipper after Rooney rejoined his former club.

The 35-year-old, who has five Premier League titles to his name at the club, is showing no signs of slowing up however, having made his target for the new season abundantly clear, a sixth winner's medal.