MANCHESTER UNITED MIDFIELDER Michael Carrick has effectively retired from international football, unwilling to be a bit-part England player.

England manager Roy Hodgson hinted he had preferred to select Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Scott Parker and as such could not promise Carrick a prominent role.

“I wouldn’t dream of putting Michael on a standby list after he has made it clear in the past he doesn’t want to be involved like that,” Hodgson said. ”I’d have to be convinced he was better than the four I’ve selected and that he’d be happy to come out of retirement.”

Carrick has won only 22 England caps despite having made his debut for the national team as a 20-year-old while at West Ham in 2001. He was included in the England squad that travelled to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup but did not play at the tournament.

“Michael will help in an extreme case,” Club England managing director Adrian Bevington said.

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