Carrick grateful to learn from Scholes

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has heaped praise on veteran team-mate Paul Scholes.

Scholes, who recently chalked up his 700th appearance for the club, is nearing a year back in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad following his decision to return from retirement last season.

And Carrick – set to mark a milestone of his own by making the 400th league appearance of his career this weekend – believes having Scholes as a mentor has had a major effect.

“It is fantastic to play with Paul Scholes,” Carrick told the club’s official website.

“He is a genius. We all know what he can do. A lot of them you simply cannot teach.

“You can learn and take things from his game, as I have done since I have been here. Whether he realises or not, he has helped me enormously just by watching him and taking things in.

“But there are some things only he can do. It is fabulous to play with him. I have enjoyed it immensely since I came here.”

Former Tottenham man Carrick went on to reveal he was unaware of reaching his upcoming landmark and insisted silverware remains his main focus.

“It’s the first I have heard of that,” Carrick said.

“It is one of those things. I have been playing for a number of years and the games add up. It is not something I look for.

“It is more about the trophies, what people win and what they can achieve. Maybe at the end of your career you can look back and see what you have done. But at the moment, it is just about winning trophies for me.”

United are away to Norwich in the Premier League on Saturday.