After penning his new contract, Michael Carrick hopes to get back for Manchester United from injury.
Whilst delighted to get his future sorted out, Carrick can do little to assist United on the pitch just now, aggravating an old Achilles complaint in the win over Arsenal a fortnight ago that will take some getting over.
"I have had a good run," he told MUTV.
"Over the last two or three years I have missed one game at a time so to be sitting out a number of matches is very frustrating.
"You just have to deal with it, pull yourself away from the games ahead and change your focus to rehabilitation and getting fit as quickly as possible."
Carrick was able to have a short break in Dubai last week but has now started the battle to get fit.
"I am not exactly close," he said. "I won't be fit for the games in the next week or two. We will see how it goes after that."
Now on 334 appearances for United, Carrick is the proud owner of five Premier League title medals and was also part of the team that secured that famous Champions League triumph in 2008, scoring in the shoot-out win over Chelsea in Moscow.
"I never imagined this sort of longevity," he said. "The way football is going it is hard to look past your first spell at a club.
"But once you are here there is something that keeps you here. We have had such a great time and it is such a great place to come and play football, to learn and develop, the last seven-and-a-half years seems to have flown by."
