It must have cheered the soul of new England manager Sven Goran Eriksson to be at Old Trafford on fourth round FA Cup day to witness at first hand the fine collective efforts of West Ham's trio of English mid-field stars. Frank Lampard, already an Under-21 veteran and skipper of that side, alongside the remarkable and precocious Joe Cole, surely destined for greatness and the third and least lauded of the trio, Michael Carrick.
Cole and Lampard, of course, are from good West Ham stock, Frank is the son of a former West Ham and England full-back and born in Romford, which is good West Ham territory.
Joe is another Londoner with his roots firmly at the club where Harry Redknapp has carefully nurtured him since his early teens.
Carrick, however, is from Geordie territory, one of those snatched from the admiring clutches of Newcastle United and whisked away to the East End where his career has flourished.
His performances during the month of January, and not least in the high octane atmosphere of Old Trafford, are what caught the eye of the past and present international managers who form the panel to judge the Cisco Young Player of the Month award.
Michael is this month's Cisco Kid and former England manager Bobby Robson, who chairs the judging panel, was only too aware of the young man's antecedents.
"He is a Geordie from Wallsend, which is just three miles from St James' Park," said the now Newcastle manager with more than a hint of feeling. "How on earth he slipped the net of his hometown club is beyond me. But I am not going to knock him for that.
"He is unusual in a way in that he combines height with elegance. Even at this early stage in his development he passes the ball with the maturity of someone much older and is progressing superbly. West Ham have been in great form and Michael has played his part in that run and I am more than delighted he has been given this award."
Ironically, Carrick made his debut against Newcastle during the 1999-2000 season and although he won't be 20 until July, he is now establishing himself in the Hammers side.
Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy says: "He is a terrific player with so much potential. He has achieved much more than Harry Redknapp could have hoped for. I watched him in both league and cup matches and have been greatly impressed."
Not surprisingly, Michael played for the famous Wallsend Boys Club from which Alan Shearer was spotted and a fellow Geordie Lawrie McMenemy, the former Northern Ireland boss, is a real fan.
Big Lawrie said: "Harry stole him from the North-East but has brought him on at just the right pace. He is a canny player and very strong and when the chance he responded superbly. I feel sure we will be seeing him in the Under-21's soon."
Carrick says: "I had still not come down to earth from the win at United and this is wonderful news. This has been my first full season in the side playing week in week out. I think it will give me confidence.
"With all the attention centred on Joe (Cole) I have been able to slip in by the back door which has helped take the pressure off me."
Cisco Systems is the world-wide leader in networking for the Internet and its sponsorship of the Young Player of the Month award is part of its strategy of "empowering the Internet generation" of which the world's football fans form a large part.
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