Frank Ilett is just one game away from getting his long-awaited haircut.
Manager until the summer Michael Carrick has naturally been asked about Manchester United supporter Frank Ilett and his voluntary haircut ban ahead of Tuesday night’s crucial Premier League clash against West Ham.
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Frank Ilett has become a viral sensation of sorts over the past year or so. – The lifelong United supporter, who originally hails from Oxford but now lives in Spain, promised on the afternoon of October 5, 2024, that he would only cut his hair when the Reds picked up five wins in a row.
It was a brave challenge given the conditions at Old Trafford. “It’s been an absolutely crazy journey,” he told the BBC. “I never expected my hair, or the attention around me, to be as big as it has become.”
Prior to the arrival of interim manager Michael Carrick, the closest United had come to that record was in October 2025, when they recorded three wins in a row under Ruben Amorim.
However, after victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham, United have extended their winning streak to four in a row, meaning Ilett is just one game away from getting his hair cut.
Speaking at his pre-press conference on Monday, he was asked if he was aware of the “young Manchester United supporter” who will finally cut his hair if United beat West Ham on Tuesday night.
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“I can say that I am aware of it, yes. My kids have made me aware of that, if anything, but it’s certainly not going to be part of the team speech from a professional level,” Carrick said.
“I can understand what’s going on with it, and it makes me smile, but it won’t have any impact in the end.”
The match against West Ham will mark 493 days since Ilett’s last haircut.
Frank Ilett breaks his silence after being one fight away from finally getting a haircut
After United’s convincing 2-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday, Ilett Carrick thanked him for turning United’s fortunes around.
“Carrick is at the wheel, this hair is going to disappear soon, West Ham is next, four out of five are done – this is the first time there have been four in a row since I started the challenge,” he said on the United Strand page.
“This time it happens. Thank you so much to Carrick – thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He added: “There will be a joint broadcast for the fifth game against West Ham. Some exciting plans in the works – more details to come.”
