Michael Carrick: In-form Manchester United midfielder can finally take centre stage for England

It was a beautiful goal, elegantly struck from outside the box, but the timing was awry. A few minutes before Michael Carrick’s illuminated an England under-21 match in Athens the then-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson had left the stadium.

Sometimes it has seemed that moment, nearly 14 years ago, was emblematic of Carrick’s career. The Manchester United midfielder has won five league titles and the Champions League but remained overshadowed by more eye-catching players from the time he first emerged with Joe Cole at West Ham. This has been especially the case at international level where Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have usually been preferred to Carrick when, perhaps, a better balanced midfield would have paired him with one of them.

Carrick went to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups but played in just one match. He was not even selected in 2014, squeezed out by the continuing presence of Gerrard and Lampard.

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But those two have now gone and Carrick, suddenly, is centre stage. This week he signed a new contract with Manchester United, who have looked much more coherent since his return from injury, and on Friday he is set to anchor England’s midfield against Lithuania at Wembley. It is a position that is up for grabs. Roy Hodgson has trialled Jack Wilshere in the role but the Arsenal midfielder is yet to nail it down.

“Michael is a quality player, a very good professional and a fine man,” said Hodgson. “It was a very hard decision not to take him to the World Cup but with Steven, Frank and Jack I’d be taking him along for the ride. I made it clear when I spoke to him it was not because I did not have faith in him, it was a question of space in the squad.

“I am delighted to see him playing so well after his injury and looking forward to him being with us again because he can play a very important part for us between now and France 2016.”

Hodgson's team has a young flavour and returning to Carrick, 34 this summer, might seem at odds with the manager’s approach but he said:”I like young players but I also like quality, if that comes comes from someone over 30 I will pick him.”

One of the reasons Gerrard and Lampard were usually preferred to Carrick was their superior ability to deliver goals from central midfield. One aspect where that under-21 match was not indicative was the fact of Carrick scoring.

He is yet to hit the target in 31 full internationals and unless Jordan Henderson replicates his recent club form goals from England central midfield seem unlikely. Hodgson is unconcerned, noting England now have goalscorers in wide positions.

“It won’t be a problem if the Sturriddges, Welbecks, Rooneys, Sterlings and Kanes are scoring goals. You want your midfield players getting forward but we shouldn’t be too hung up on it as the way we are playing we always have three, four players who are recognised as goalscorers.”