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Ex-Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has described his experience on a short trip to Nigeria as one of his worst ever after a truly traumatic visit to Abuja
Manchester United legend Michael Carrick recalled his time in Nigeria, describing the few hours he spent in the country as being similar to being in a horror movie.
Carrick played for Manchester United for 12 years between 2006 and 2018, winning multiple Premier League titles with the Red Devils as well as a UEFA Champions League title in 2008.
Carrick recalls horrific Abuja experience
It was after the 2008 UCL triumph that Carrick and Manchester United visited Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, as part of a tour of Africa that also included a trip to Cape Town, South Africa.
Despite spending only 16 hours in Abuja, Carrick remembers it as one of his worst experiences on tour with Manchester United, saying, “The whole experience in Abuja was like being trapped in a horror film.”
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He recalled a scene where a fan was assaulted by armed guards at the team’s hotel for the grave crime of taking a picture, which shocked even the Manchester United players being protected.
The five-time Premier League champion reminisced about the incident, saying, “As we walked past the swimming pool, this guy from the hotel took a picture of us. That was no problem for us, happens all the time, but it was clearly a problem for the security men. One of them ran over and smashed the camera out of this guy's hand.
“'Whoa, what's going on there?' I shouted. They grabbed him, jabbed him in the ribs and dragged him round the back of the hotel. 'Whoa, what's up? It's only a picture,' I yelled after them. We never saw him again. It was all a bit over the top.”
Amputee children, vomiting, and the worst of Carrick's Abuja trip
Carrick also spoke in his memoirs about the trip to the national stadiums and the horrors of seeing amputee children begging for alms, saying, “Later that afternoon, we drove to the National Stadium and, nearing the ground, I spotted 20 kids on a grass bank, waiting for us. As we got closer, I noticed their legs were tucked underneath them and they shifted themselves up and down this little hill on their arms, really quick.
“To our horror, we were told later that parents in Nigeria sometimes smash their babies' legs so they can send them begging. Could that seriously be true? The kids were everywhere, moving around with just their arms. It was so sad to see.”
Carrick also noted that even the novelty match that Manchester United were to play against Portsmouth during the tour was yet another source of agony.
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“Few fans were in the ground because of the cost of tickets,” Carrick said, continuing, “Some tried to break in, but the police forced them back with tear gas.
“Huge black flies dive-bombed us. You had one eye on the ball and the other on incoming insects. We won 2-1, rushed out the stadium as quick as we could, passing those poor disabled children and raced to the airport.”
Not even escaping Abuja could rid Carrick and the Red Devils of the ills of the city, as the Manchester United man recalled how sick the players were after the trip.
The trip lasted only 16 hours, but Abuja's effects lasted longer,” Carrick said, before adding, “I vomited for a week, but some lads had it far worse. They were so sick that United sent a sample off to some university and, I'm not kidding, they found monkey and rat shit in the sample.
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“The university docs said they'd never seen anything like it before. So, no, I won't remember Abuja happily, and I can't imagine the other lads will either. Those are the type of souvenirs you don't want to bring back from tours abroad.”
Currently, Carrick coaches Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship, with Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom as the star of the team.
Despite his admiration for Akpom, it is unlikely that he will ever visit his star forward’s home country again after a horrific first experience.
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