Latte Lath: Carrick never screamed, he knew how to listen

Emmanuel Latte Lath, a striker for Union Berlin in Germany's top flight, the Bundesliga, spoke to Sky Sports about the twists of his career. Born in Ivory Coast and moved to Italy aged eight, he made his debut in a major European league at 27 and scored with a header against Eintracht Frankfurt within three minutes. He describes the feeling as an explosion of emotion.

A tough period in the US

His career had previously stalled. Last year he moved from Middlesbrough, a club in England's second tier, the Championship, to Atlanta of Major League Soccer (MLS) in a deal worth £22.5m. He says expectations were high and things became very difficult. He scored 11 goals in 48 games, but more had been hoped for. Latte Lath believes people around a player strongly influence his decisions, and says he would advise his younger self to make more choices for himself.

Carrick and Middlesbrough

After starting at Atalanta in Italy and several loans, including at Swiss club St Gallen where he scored 14 top-flight goals, he flourished at Middlesbrough, netting 16 times in his debut Championship season. Michael Carrick was in charge for all 29 of his Middlesbrough goals. Carrick, who is now under scrutiny at Manchester United, is described by the player as a calm coach who observed and analysed. In difficult moments he did not scream, but talked with the players and knew how to listen.

Mental coach and new surroundings

Latte Lath works with a mental coach, who helps him both in football and in everyday life, including becoming a father. This season in the Bundesliga he has already faced Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. He calls the past year "a bit tough", but says he has learned never to give up.