Michael Walker talks to Roy Carroll, who today gets another chance to claim a Cup final place
Old Trafford's other Roy has made the big leap and today he aims to continue the form that could earn him a Cup final place "Who's the other one?" joked Roy Carroll. It had just been put to him that he is now the second Irishman called Roy to be first choice at Manchester United. Carroll has reason to laugh even if he is still a long way from being established at Old Trafford in the manner of Roy Keane. But today will prove a landmark for the goalkeeper in this respect because at Birmingham City he will play his fourth consecutive game for United.
Tim Howard has been "rested" by Alex Ferguson for the past three United fixtures and Carroll has conceded one goal in those 270 minutes. Yesterday Ferguson declared Howard "injured" and Carroll could be forgiven for thinking that he is now United's number one. That means it could be Carroll walking out behind Keane in the FA Cup final in 42 days' time.
"I can't do anything else but take each game as it comes," said Carroll. "It's just up to myself to keep performing." The city of Birmingham has been good to Carroll before. Aston Villa was where he made his United debut three years ago, having joined from Wigan Athletic. His debut finished 1-1, beginning an extraordinary run of success: United have never lost a Premiership or FA Cup match in which Carroll has played, 24 games in all. His defeats have all come in other competitions, two in the League Cup and one in the Champions League.
Last Saturday extended that run and Carroll was centrally involved. Back at Villa Park for the FA Cup semi-final, Carroll made a close-range save from Kolo Toure that kept United level at a time when both teams were swept up in a tide of attack.
"I didn't know much about the header except that he was three yards out," he said. Everyone was impressed by Carroll's moment, especially by the speed of his footwork. It is that development the 26-year-old has mentioned most since his move to Old Trafford.
"Foot movement, angles, one-on-ones, the whole technique is what I've learned since I came here," he said. Carroll's possible appearance in Cardiff would be a repayment on the other virtue he has learned in Manchester: patience. When Carroll joined United, Fabien Barthez was the undisputed number one, but as the Frenchman's star faded Ferguson looked around, and over, Carroll to recruit Ricardo Lopez from Real Valladolid in Spain.
"I didn't really know what to feel at the time," Carroll said. "A club of this size needs three keepers of course. Ricardo went on the bench, that's football."
Ricardo departed rapidly, however, as did Barthez last summer, yet Howard arrived from the United States and Carroll was again number two and destined for the shadows.
In football terms, it's where he came from. The agricultural county of Fermanagh has not produced many professional footballers and when the 18-year-old signed for Hull after a week-long trial, the Yorkshire Post reported he joined from the Enniskillen Fusiliers.
Carroll comes from Tamlaght, a tiny village on the outskirts of Enniskillen, one of those west Ulster places where the Battles of Boyne and Somme retain relevance. Carroll played cricket and rugby as well as football until he was 17, and it was not until a teenage growth spurt that he was fully converted from scrumhalf to lanky keeper. He is 6ft 2in but refers to his brother as "Big Bob".
Big Bob plays for Ballinamallard United in the Irish League First Division. His other brothers, Richard and Raymond, play for Claby Strollers. Roy's father Bob was also a goalkeeper, in Fermanagh's local leagues.
Carroll's status makes him a local celebrity but he was insistent that he is "the same old bloke - I'm no local hero". Like Big Bob, Roy turned out for Ballinamallard and it was while playing for them that he was spotted by the brother of the Hull and Northern Ireland keeper Alan Fettis.
Steve Fettis was at a game in Belfast in which Ballinamallard lost 6-2 with Carroll in goal. As Carroll departed, Fettis asked if he fancied going on a week's trial with Hull. "I thought he was kidding," Carroll said. "I'd just let in six. But I must have done well - you can always blame the defence, can't you? Two months later I joined Hull City."
Eighteen months at Hull - where he effectively replaced Alan Fettis - brought good reviews and a £350,000 move to Wigan.
"I was quite close to joining Leicester - I even went down there to the training ground to have a look around. They were in the Premiership. It didn't happen but then the Wigan manager Paul Jewell told me: 'There's another team interested'. It was a club called Manchester United. I was just . . . surprised. I didn't ring anyone and tell them about it until I had signed on the dotted line. After Leicester, I had to be sure. Then I rang everybody."
Maik Taylor was presumably one of those he called. Carroll is number two to Taylor in the Northern Ireland squad but they are international room-mates and Taylor's hand will be shaken before today's game at Birmingham. Supplanting Taylor, captain in the historic win in Estonia 10 days ago, will not be easy, but Carroll has demonstrated his determination. Manchester United have two Roys now.
