Man Utd Star Asked England Not to Pick Him After They Left Him 'Depressed'

Michael Carrick will go down as one of the great midfielders of his generation after a sensational career with Tottenham, Manchester United, and England.

Carrick won the UEFA Champions League, five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and a UEFA Europa League crown during a sensational club career.

However, the midfield maestro never quite replicated that success on the international stage.

Despite being an elite passer of a football, he retired with just 34 international caps to his name, making his senior debut in 2001 before retiring from England duty in 2015.

He was a part of the England squad that were eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa after a controversial 4-1 defeat against Germany.

It was the last time that Carrick would attend a major tournament with England, and he has told BBC 2’s Premier League show that he found it difficult being on international duty.

He went as far as to say that his experiences led to him asking the FA not to select him for international matches.

"I'd been in the squad a long time and I'll be honest, I was finding it hard going away with England,” he said.

Getty Images

"I didn't mind going away with United pre-season for three weeks or whatever and coming back, but going with England, it was almost depressing in a way.

"It made me really down, so I came to the point after South Africa where I thought, 'I can't do that again'.

"People would be saying, 'Pull yourself together and be grateful for it' and I understood the position I was in, the privileged position I was in, but I just found it so hard and I couldn't deal with it anymore,” he added.

"I was probably on the verge of... yes, I was depressed at times, yes. I told the FA, 'Look, please don't pick me'."

Getty Images

Carrick has followed up his impressive career as a player by successfully transitioning into a career in management.

The 44-year-old was caretaker manager of Manchester United following the departure of fellow United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He also enjoyed a successful spell as Middlesbrough manager before being sacked after a tenth-place finish in the Championship last term.