MICHAEL CARRICK told FA chiefs not to pick him because he found England duty ‘depressing’.
The Manchester United midfielder, 36, failed to play a single minute for Fabio Capello’s side at the 2010 World Cup and revealed he pleaded not to be selected again.
He said: “I was finding it hard going away with England. I had been in the squad a long time.
“I didn’t mind going away with United in pre-season for three weeks or whatever then coming back.
“But going with England it was almost depressing — it made me really down.”
Carrick, who will retire at the end of the season, was also in the 2006 World Cup squad.
And he told the BBC’s Premier League show: “After South Africa in 2010 thought I can’t do that again. I understood the privileged position I was in but I just couldn’t deal with it anymore.
"I was probably on the verge of . . . yes, I was depressed at times, yes. I told the FA, ‘look just please don’t pick me’.”
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