The Red Devils veteran came on just before half-time following an injury to Chris Smalling, taking over from Phil Jones as the team's deep-lying midfielder.
Indeed, Carrick quickly influenced the match, helping Roy Hodgson's men control possession and build attacks from the back.
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Rooney believes that Carrick was England's key man against Italy
The best player on the pitch by a mile when he came on was Carrick
Wayne Rooney
And although the Three Lions grabbed a late eqauliser through Tottenham's Andros Townsend, it was Carrick who received the bulk of praise from Rooney.
The England and United skipper said: "The best player on the pitch by a mile when he came on was Carrick.
"He dictated the game for us. You saw how much control we had. He was the big difference between the teams in the second half."
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