Crystal Palace have maintained a steady presence in the Premier League for over a decade, never finishing below 14th during this period.
Under owner Steve Parish's prudent management, the club has flourished in the top flight. This approach has not only led to on-field success but also allowed for substantial investments in various aspects of the football club.
The profitable sales of players like Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan Bissaka have bolstered recruitment efforts and facilitated the development of state-of-the-art training facilities.
However, if we rewind almost twenty years, Crystal Palace faced a markedly different situation.
Owned by Simon Jordan, who is now perhaps better known as a "disc jockey," according to Eddie Hearn, the club struggled in the Premier League.
With the club a newly promoted side, improving the playing squad would be crucial. The club had two primary targets in mind, players they believed would be instrumental in securing their survival.
One of these targets was Dean Ashton, who would later go on to represent Norwich City and West Ham United.
The other was a young midfielder who, little did anyone know, would become one of the best of his generation.
Who did Simon Jordan try to sign?
The midfielder in question was Michael Carrick, then only 23.
Speaking to talkSPORT in 2021, Jordan recounted his efforts to secure the services of the deep-lying playmaker, who was then with West Ham United.
"We were in the Premier League and had a deal agreed with West Ham to sign Carrick for £3.5 million.
"It might not sound like a lot of money, but remember, West Ham were in the Championship because we left them there the previous year after beating them in the play-off final. Ultimately, £3.5 million in 2005 money is roughly equivalent to £25 million in 2021."
However, as reported in The Athletic, Carrick had no interest in the move and simply ignored Dowie’s [then Palace manager's] calls.
Instead, Carrick chose to join Tottenham Hotspur for the same fee that had been agreed upon by Crystal Palace.
Having missed out on both Carrick and Ashton, Jordan disclosed that his manager hadn't formulated a backup plan in case the two players weren't interested, resulting in no new signings.
This would turn out to be a mistake, as the Eagles were relegated on the final day of the season after a 2-2 draw with Charlton failed to keep them up.
How did Carrick do at Tottenham?
Following his arrival at White Hart Lane, the English midfielder went on to make 75 appearances in all competitions, scoring on two occasions.
In his first season, he helped Spurs finish 9th in the Premier League. However, with teammates like Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane leading the line, there was room for more success.
The following season, Tottenham found themselves in a battle with north London rivals Arsenal for the top four.
Going into the final day of the season, it was Tottenham's to lose.
However, a food poisoning pandemic ravaged the squad. It was believed that 10 players, who had eaten the same dish at their east London hotel, later all became sick.
Carrick was listed as one of the players.
There were rumours of a conspiracy that it was a deliberate ploy from an Arsenal fan to help make sure the Gunners would secure the Champions League spot.
This has never been confirmed, but if true, it worked.
In a cruel twist of irony, Carrick's former side West Hawem ran out winners on the day and with Arsenal winning elsewhere, it was enough to send Tottenham down to fifth.
While Spurs weren't going to be playing in Europe's top flight, that wasn't going to stop Carrick.
The Newcastle native joined Manchester United that summer for £18.6m.
How did Carrick do at Manchester United?
Carrick had a significant role to play at Old Trafford. He was brought in to fill the shoes of former captain Roy Keane, who had left the season before. He even wore the same number 16 jersey that Keane made famous.
His new manager, Sir Alex Ferguson was pleased with Carrick's desire to take said number, stating:
"I think that showed great courage because sometimes players are a bit superstitious about things like that, but he was keen, and said he would gladly take number 16."
This may have put pressure on him to succeed, but all things considered, the pair ended up finding similar glory in the red of United.
464 appearances 24 goals & 36 assists 5 Premier Leagues 1 Champions League 1 Europa League 1 FA Cup 3 EFL Cups 6 Community Shields
478 appearances 51 goals & 38 assists 7 Premier Leagues 1 Champions League 1 Intercontinental Cup 4 FA Cups 4 Community Shields 1 PFA Player of the Year award
Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Carrick formed a midfield partnership with Paul Scholes and found himself adorned with silverware.
He made a total of 464 appearances for the club and won a combined 18 trophies, including five Premier League titles.
In 2017, he was named the club's captain following the departure of Wayne Rooney back to Everton.
Unfortunately, he was unable to feature frequently as captain due to needing a heart procedure to address an irregular heart rhythm.
Carrick announced his retirement in 2018. He currently occupies the 10th spot on Manchester United's all-time appearance list, with more appearances than the likes of Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham.
Carrick immediately joined the coaching staff at the club following his retirement. He remained there until Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in 2021.
Following the termination of the Norwegian, Carrick managed three games as caretaker boss, winning twice and drawing once.
He now finds himself in charge of Championship outfit Middlesbrough.
Did Carrick play for England?
Despite coming through at a period where England were stacked in central midfield, Carrick managed to make 34 appearances for his country.
He represented the Three Lions at two World Cups, however only made an appearance once in 2006.
In hindsight, many believe Carrick's qualities were overlooked due to the presence of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Carrick himself grew frustrated at this.
He told the FA he didn't want to be included in the EURO 2012 squad if he wasn't going to have a prominent role.
Carrick could've offered better balance to the midfield due to his stronger defensive capabilities.
In the season before the Euros, he averaged 3 tackles per game and 2.4 interceptions. In comparison. Lampard managed just 1.4 and 1.2, while Gerrard had 1.3 and 0.9.
It was an international career of what could've been for Carrick, much like with most players who came through during England's 'golden generation.'
What could've been for Crystal Palace?
If Simon Jordan had managed to pull off the coup of Michael Carrick, perhaps it would've been enough to help Palace survive in the top flight a little while longer.
Carrick's quality was undeniable, and it seemed inevitable that a big move akin to the one to Old Trafford would've happened sooner rather than later.
However, the profit that could've been made combined with the possibility of more seasons in the Premier League was tantalizingly close for Palace, if not for Carrick's desire to move elsewhere.
