Carrick would consider England return

Michael Carrick has confirmed he would consider a return to the international fold.

The Manchester United midfielder came in for criticism prior to Euro 2012 when it emerged he had asked not to be selected.

When Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry sustained injuries, leaving boss Roy Hodgson with Jordan Henderson and Phil Jones as deputies for Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker, Carrick's absence became even more of a talking point.

But Carrick is anxious to point out that when the decision was made, it seemed highly unlikely he would even get in the squad, and if the call came again, he might view it more favourably.

He said: "I've had no contact from Roy Hodgson, so it would be wrong of me at this stage to make a decision either way. But I would consider it, definitely."

Despite winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League during his six-year tenure at Old Trafford, the 30-year-old has largely been overlooked by England.

Carrick withdrew from selection for Fabio Capello's Three Lions squad in January, after not featuring at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but denied that he had turned his back on international football completely.

"I didn't kick the door down and say: 'You've got to play me or I'll leave'," he explained. "It was more that if I wasn't going to play [at Euro 2012], I'd rather not go.

"During the World Cup I never featured and I was never really close to playing. That was a hard time. I just thought if it was going to be the same scenario again, I'd rather let someone else go in my place."
 

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