Michael Carrick still wants to play for England despite missing the friendly against Hungary.
United midfielder remains dedicated after international mix-up
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has reiterated his desire to play for England despite missing Wednesday's friendly against Hungary.
Carrick had been ruled out of the Wembley clash with an ankle injury by United boss Alex Ferguson, but was fit to play a starting role in the Community Shield last Sunday, which surprised England manager Fabio Capello.
The former West Ham trainee crossed paths with Capello after the match when the Italian gestured that he had failed to be informed the 29-year-old was fit after all.
However, in a week which has seen United team-mate Wes Brown and goalkeeper Paul Robinson retire from international football, Carrick remains determined to earn a starting berth for the national team.
"Finishing with England has not crossed my mind," he said. "Obviously things change the older you get and people have family to think about. Everyone has their own reasons.
"But for me, it is about getting into the Manchester United team and playing well.
"What happens after that with England happens. We will just have to wait and see."
Prognosis
Initial prognosis suggested that Carrick would miss two weeks of action after sustaining a knock in a 7-1 pre-season friendly win over Airtricity League XI. Yet, as time dragged on, Carrick felt no ill-effects.
"The ankle is fine now," he said.
"It was just a bit of a mix-up. After a couple of days there was no damage or swelling which is why I gave it a go in training.
"Obviously there was a bit of a mix-up in communication with the Football Association but I suppose it is one of those things.
"We just have to move on."
