Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has revealed on Monday that he would probably have accepted Fabio Capello's World Cup invitation had the call come earlier.

Capello asked both Jamie Carragher and Scholes to consider coming out of international retirement for South Africa but, while Carragher accepted, Scholes eventually rejected the request.

However, the 35-year-old, who retired from England duty in 2004, insists he would have been open to a return if he had been asked to play a part in qualification.

"It's a big decision and I wasn't really given enough time to think about it, so I decided not to take up the offer," he said. "If they'd asked me earlier, I probably would have accepted.

"There are players in the squad who have spent nearly two years flying all around the world helping England qualify for the World Cup, whereas I haven't been involved for a long time," He said.

"It wasn't a case of wanting to go on holiday - it was the fact that I got the call so close to the tournament, and also I didn't want to take the place of someone who helped get England to South Africa. The idea just didn't sit comfortably with me," he added.