Coach Carrick speaks honestly as MU fans remain unable to get a haircut

Michael Carrick addresses the special case of fan Frank Ilett, who has gone more than 490 days without a haircut and is only waiting for the West Ham game to conclude his popular challenge.

Frank Ilett has become a viral sensation on social media over the past year.

A lifelong Manchester United supporter, born in Oxford but currently living in Spain, Ilett promised on the afternoon of October 5, 2024, that he would only cut his hair after the Red Devils achieved five consecutive wins. This was a bold challenge given the situation at Old Trafford at the time: “It’s truly been a crazy journey. I never imagined my hair or the number of followers would grow this much,” he shared with the media.

Before interim coach Michael Carrick took charge, the best run Manchester United had was in October 2025, with a streak of three consecutive wins under Ruben Amorim.

However, after victories against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and Tottenham, Manchester United extended their winning streak to four games in a row, meaning Ilett was just one match away from his “haircut day.”

So what does Carrick think about Ilett and the promise he made not to cut his hair? In a recent press conference, Carrick was asked if he knew about “a young Manchester United fan” who would cut his hair if the team defeated West Ham in the upcoming match.

“Yes, I’m aware of that. Actually, my kids told me about it, but certainly, this won’t be part of the professional talk with the team,” Carrick said.

“I understand the story and it makes me smile, but in the end, it won’t have any real impact.”

It is known that the upcoming match against West Ham will mark 493 days since Ilett’s last haircut.

After Manchester United’s convincing 2-0 win over Tottenham last weekend, Ilett expressed his gratitude to Carrick for helping turn the team’s fortunes around.

“Carrick is steering the ship, this hair is about to go, West Ham is next, four out of five wins done – this is the first time I’ve seen a four-game winning streak since starting the challenge,” he said on United Strand.

He added: “There will be a watchalong for the fifth match against West Ham. Lots of exciting plans are being prepared, with details to be announced soon.”