England and Manchester United's Michael Carrick delighted with Paul Scholes comparison

Michael Carrick has paid tribute to Manchester United and former England team-mate Paul Scholes, after comparisons between the two were drawn at the weekend.

Carrick's midfield performances for United this season have proved a big influence on the team's results, with the Old Trafford fans even chanting about the likeness between the two players during Saturday's win at QPR. 

And with Sir Alex Ferguson's team sitting clear at the top of the Premier League, Carrick is happy to be mentioned in the same sentence as Scholes let alone hailed as a replica. 

He said: "Scholesy is a legend, so it is always good to be compared to players like that.

"Paul is as good as it gets and has been throughout his career.

"To train alongside him and have the chance to learn every day has been something I have tried to make the most of.

"It has helped me bring my own game on whether he knows it or not and that has been a big help."

It seems the feeling is mutual from Scholes too, with the former England man describing Carrick as a 'Rolls Royce' of a player in a rare interview recently.

And 31-year-old Carrick was just as happy to play down those comparisons as United aim to focus on maintaining their 12 point lead for the remaining months of the season.

He added: "It shows the respect there is within the squad for each other's game.

"We all have different qualities and we all want to help each other to be successful."