Michael Carrick says his transfer fee never entered his thoughts in his bid to stamp his mark at Man Utd.
Midfielder unfazed by plaudits
Michael Carrick says his pricey transfer fee never even entered his thoughts in his bid to stamp his mark at Manchester United.
The 27-year-old former West Ham midfielder joined the Red Devils for a record fee of £18.6million in the summer of 2006.
Two years on and Carrick has not only cemented his position in Sir Alex Ferguson's line-up but he is now a regular in the England squad.
When asked his thoughts on achieving such recognition for both club and country, Carrick said: "It doesn't really bother me.
The best
"It is a case of playing week in, week out and training to become the best I can be.
"It is out of your control so I just get on with it. As long as things are going right here (at United), and hopefully for England, that is all I can control."
Carrick insists he does not feel under any pressure to prove himself and that, since his record move to Old Trafford, his focus has been on winning trophies.
"It was said to be a lot of money at the time but that didn't really bother me. I was more bothered about coming here and winning things.
Proven
"In the two seasons I have been here we have managed to do that, proving people wrong.
"The only person I had to prove something to was the manager as he signed me and you want to pay him back.
"Hopefully I've gone some way to doing that."
