Michael Carrick believes Manchester United's third-place finish is a springboard for next season. The manager spoke after United thrashed Brighton 3-0 on Sunday.
Carrick only took the permanent job on Friday. He signed a two-year contract with the club after steering them through turbulent times.
Rúben Amorim left in January. Carrick steadied the ship and guided United back into the Champions League.
The Red Devils clinched a top-four spot three games before the season ended. Last weekend's dramatic 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest confirmed third place.
"We've finished strong," Carrick told BBC Sport after the Brighton demolition. He stressed that his side never treated the final weeks as a formality.
Patrick Dorgu opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Bryan Mbeumo added a second before half-time, with Bruno Fernandes making it 3-0 after the interval.
Carrick noted how his players approached Sunday's match with intensity despite already securing their objective. "It gives us a platform to build on for next season," he said.
United have now won 12 of their last 17 matches under Carrick. The turnaround has been remarkable by any measure.
Fernandes delivered the corner for Dorgu's header to make it 1-0. His performance capped an extraordinary individual season.
The Portuguese captain set a new Premier League record with 21 assists in a single campaign. This beat the previous outright record.
Fernandes scored again in the 48th minute with a clinical finish. His ninth league goal brought his overall tally to an impressive mark.
Just 24 hours earlier, Fernandes won the Premier League Player of the Season award. He'd already collected the Football Writers' Association honour.
United's strong finish provides genuine optimism heading into the summer. Carrick believes the squad has shown what it's capable of achieving.
