Age is only a number for Carrick
Michael Carrick does not believe next summer's World Cup will be his last shot at a major international tournament.
Apart from forcing his way into Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2006 World Cup squad, Carrick has endured a series of disappointments on the biggest stage.
England missed out on qualification for Euro 2008 and four years later in Poland and Ukraine, Carrick was still on a self-imposed international exile.
That was triggered as he was not even called off the bench for a single minute in South Africa by Fabio Capello, which the 31-year-old has previously admitted was a fairly dispiriting experience.
The Manchester United man will be 32 when the next extravaganza begins in Brazil, and the likes of Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and Tom Cleverley are already starting to make their presence felt.
But with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand as examples, Carrick does not see why 2014 should mark the end of his pursuit of the biggest prizes.
"There's no reason why I would be thinking of packing up any time soon," he said.
"You never know what's around the corner but I wouldn't say it was going to be my last one.
"Scholes and Giggs are the perfect examples. I'm not saying I can do what they have done because that's extreme but it's something to look at.
"Two or three years ago people were questioning Rio and saying he wasn't far away from finishing.
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/england/age_is_only_a_number_for_carrick_rss4395391.shtml