Carra - Liverpool Echo special paying tribute to a Liverpool legend by Liverpool Post & Echo

Three-part special paying tribute to a Reds legend

CARRAGHER: FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

One of our own... WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INSIDE?

PAR TO NE

His early years ... the views of Dalglish Rodgers, Hodgson and Benitez ... and his years of hard work for the 23 Foundation

PAR TT HRE E

PAR TT WO

Gerrard on his best pal ... Reds youth coach Hughie McAuley ... the day Carra made his debut ... and Gerard Houllier Two teams of Carraghers ... the night of his life in Istanbul ... a souvenir poster ... the trophies he helped win ... and even his goals!

How your Carragher special works...

Jamie Carragher bids farewell to the adoring Anfield crowd after his final game for Liverpool, against QPR on Sunday

PART ONE TODAY

PART TWO TOMORROW

PART THREE THURSDAY

CARRAGHER: FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

and ONE of a kind A young Carragher makes his voice heard at Tottenham in 1998... and a less youthful Carragher celebrates Liverpool’s win in last year’s Carling Cup final

T is the abiding memory of a career devoted to Liverpool Football Club. The images sum up perfectly both Jamie Carragher the man and the footballer and explains why he is so loved and revered. Deep into extra time in Istanbul, his body was wracked with pain, cramp severely hampering his movement. Carragher had run himself into the ground but he simply refused to throw in the towel. Somehow he kept going, putting his body on the line time and time again with a heroic show of courage to repel the advances of AC Milan. When Jerzy Dudek parried away Andriy Shevchenko’s penalty in the shootout, it was the Bootle-born defender who led the manic victory charge towards the Reds keeper. The Champions League triumph of 2005 was Carragher’s finest hour. But it wasn’t a one-off. It merely showcased on the biggest of stages the qualities which made

ES M JA RCE Y B EA P Most games for Liverpool 1. Ian Callaghan: 857 2. Jamie Carragher: 737 3. Ray Clemence, Emlyn Hughes: 665 5. Ian Rush 660

him such a rare breed. He is the ultimate one-club man who deserves to be ranked alongside the greatest names ever to pull on a red shirt. For Carragher, the team has always come first. A selfless and loyal individual who has always made the most of his talent by setting the highest of standards. After a first-team career spanning 16 years and 131 days, 737 appearances and 11 major honours, there was an emotional goodbye at Anfield on Sunday. The Kop’s plea for ‘one more year’ was in vain. Carragher always wanted to bow out with his head held high and that mission was accomplished in style. Typically, on his big day he didn’t put a foot wrong. Spotting danger, dealing with it and barking orders at team-mates right to the glorious end, he demonstrated the passion and professionalism which has always set him apart from his peers. Carragher came within a whisker of securing the fairytale finale. Rarely

will he have ever hit a ball as sweetly as the 30-yard piledriver he arrowed past Robert Green in front of the Kop just past the hour mark. Agonisingly, it bounced back off the post as he was denied what would have been the sixth goal of his Reds career. But Carragher was always better at preventing goals than scoring them. Victory and a clean sheet – his 197th in 508 Premier League games – was a fitting way to sign off. When the No 23 went up on the board five minutes from time, a capacity crowd produced a spine-tingling ovation. Liverpool have lost half of their Scouse heartbeat and the void created by his retirement both on the pitch and in the dressing room is vast. Only the legendary Ian Callaghan stands above him in the club’s all-time appearance list. It’s been some journey for Carragher, who first walked through the gates of Melwood at the age of nine. Supporters love him because he’s one of them. He’s the homegrown hero who snubbed Hello! to sell his wedding photographs to the Kop magazine for £1. A player so committed that he tried to play on after breaking his leg at Blackburn Rovers a decade ago. The boy from Brunswick Youth Club on Marsh Lane has never lost touch with his roots. That is epitomised by the work of the 23 Foundation, the charity he set up to help youngsters across Merseyside. It benefited from a £1million cash injection courtesy of his Anfield testimonial against Everton in 2010. Carragher had to fight for that esteemed place in the fans’ affections. In the early years following his debut under Roy Evans in 1997 he was a target of criticism. Being played out of position didn’t help his cause. Yet he never complained, he merely knuckled down and vowed to prove the doubters wrong. He achieved that emphatically. Under Gerard Houllier, he showed his versatility, shining at left-back in the remarkable treble-winning campaign of 2001. It was Rafa Benitez who finally utilised his talents in a central defensive role. He flourished and his

partnership with Sami Hyypia was the best in Europe. His never-say-die attitude – coupled with his reading of the game and his organisational skills – was instrumental en route to Istanbul. His performances away to Juventus and home to Chelsea are the stuff of legend. Last season under Kenny Dalglish, he lost his place due to injury and on his return to fitness he was no longer a guaranteed starter with Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger the favoured pairing. Sitting among the substitutes was a bitter pill to swallow having been a cornerstone of the Liverpool side for so long but he never rocked the boat. There was no knock on the manager’s door. The team always came first. When he came off the bench to play his part in the League Cup final triumph over Cardiff City, which ended a painful six-year trophy drought, his joy was clear for all to see. He had achieved another lifelong dream of being a Wembley winner and his son James joined him on that glorious walk up the 107 steps to the Royal Box. Over the past year Carragher has been a pillar of support to Brendan Rodgers, his sixth Liverpool manager. The decision to retire was made last summer. Playing for anyone else never appealed and nor did the prospect of being a Liverpool squad player. Carragher was desperate to go out at the top but when he was stuck on the bench in the first half of the season he feared the reality would be very different. However, the recall he craved for Premier League duty finally arrived in January and he grabbed his chance with both hands. There was no sentiment attached to his continued selection. Carragher was outstanding as Liverpool’s backline got the leadership it had been lacking. The Reds suffered just one defeat in his last 15 games as each performance he delivered merely reinforced what the club would be losing. There are some huge boots to fill. Jamie Carragher is one of a kind and Kopites are blessed to call him one of their own.

Carragher gives his children, James and Mia, a run-out on the Anfield pitch ahead of his last game (top); and receives a trophy from Reds legend Ian Callaghan

CARRAGHER: THE EARLY YEARS

Where it all BEGAN The Salisbury pub in Bootle, Jamie Carragher’s local to this day. Inset: All Saints Primary, formerly St James’, his old school

HE Salisbury pub, Bootle. Not quite The Green Y Man, as depicted in Boys from the Blackstuff, but an interesting place nonetheless. In one corner, a lively karaoke session is in full swing, with one local rapping aggressively over a Bangles track. Overdressed girls down fluorescent shots at the bar, whilst a game of ‘killer’ pool threatens to descend into farce as players hunt for “the cue with the proper tip”. It is a lively Sunday evening on Marsh Lane. And there, amidst the madness, sits a Premier League legend, a Liverpool legend, a Bootle legend. Jamie Carragher is still in his club suit, having been part of the Liverpool squad which faced Manchester City earlier in the day, but there is no danger of him looking out of place. His dad, Phil, is a former owner of ‘The Solly’. Carra’s presence there, even now, is common enough to attract barely a sideways glance from the regulars. A drive along Marsh Lane is like a walk down memory lane where

EIL

N S B JONE

Jamie Carragher has a kickabout in the Brunswick Youth Club car park in 2006

Carragher is concerned. Every building seems to have its part to play in the story. Yards from The Salisbury is the Brunswick Youth Club, where as a youngster Carra spent “every hour

possible” playing football on the indoor pitches, whilst a few hundred metres further is St James’ Primary School (now All Saints Primary), at the back of which are the playing fields on

which Carragher’s footballing persona was shaped. Phil Carragher managed two local football teams; the Brunswick and Merton Villa. Jamie remembers standing on the touchline “watching him impersonate a top-class manager” from an early age. The madness, the banter and the camaraderie of those Sunday mornings have stuck with him since. By the time he was six, Carragher was part of the Merton Villa Under-10s side, making an impression on his seniors as a lithe, skilful winger. “I think they wanted to keep me out of the middle, where it was a bit more physical,” he says. At nine, his exploits attracted the attention of Bootle Boys. He finished top scorer in his first season, attracting the attention of plenty on the local scene. A goal at Anfield in a cup final defeat to Liverpool Boys, aged 10, was another highlight. “I cut in on my right foot and hit one right into the top corner,” he remembers. “It was at the Kop End as well.” By 12, and by this time attending Savio High School, a couple of miles from home, his talents were shining through at Liverpool’s

centre of excellence. Harry Hodges, a veteran Anfield scout, had spotted him, and introduced him to Hughie McAuley and Dave Shannon, whose influence on his career, as well as the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard, would be huge. Carragher ensured he would remain in the coaches’ minds by turning up for training in an Everton kit. The nickname ‘Sharpy’, a reference to Goodison legend Graeme Sharp, stuck. Carragher recalls witnessing a clash between his dad and Kenny Dalglish, then the Liverpool manager, at a game between Crosby and Bootle boys. Dalglish, whose son Paul was playing for Crosby, had been incensed at the award of a soft late penalty for Bootle. Phil Carragher wasted little time reminding ‘The King’ that he had benefited from plenty of dubious awards himself at Anfield over the years. The two still joke about the incident to this day. Thankfully, it never affected Carragher’s Liverpool career. The forward did enough to impress at the centre of excellence, and began his ascent towards the first team. It was quite the journey.

CARRA

Part 2

The MENTOR Jamie Carragher (top row, second from left) celebrates winning the Youth Cup with Liverpool in 1996. Right: Coach Hugh McAuley

T WAS fitting that Hughie McAuley took his seat at Anfield on Sunday to watch Jamie Carragher’s final game. The 60-year-old has been by Carragher’s side throughout some of the defining moments in his Liverpool career and was there to see him on his farewell. McAuley was part of the dedicated coaching team that nurtured the young Bootle boy’s talent, transforming him from a wannabe Graeme Sharp into an intelligent defender, before sending him off into the world of senior football. Hughie was in the dugout the day Carragher marked his full Premier League debut with a goal against Aston Villa and said he was never going to miss his final game. But McAuley and Carragher’s relationship goes beyond that of Y

player and coach and the pair have remained friends. McAuley has watched with pride as his student added European and domestic trophies to the 1996 FA Youth Cup, in which Carragher played alongside Michael Owen and David Thompson in the side that defeated West Ham United. “He came to Liverpool at eight or nine,” recalls McAuley. “He was playing for Bootle Schoolboys when I first watched him and he was a striker in those days. He wanted to play up front for Everton and Graeme Sharp was his idol. “It was the Centre of Excellence at Liverpool back then and he joined a year that had a good crop of players in it. L “Even at that age, Jamie HI DE read the game very well. He was playing in midfield by RI

B RKB KI

the time of our FA Youth Cup-winning season. Eddie Turkington missed the first leg of the final and I was talking with Ronnie Moran. It was suggested we played Jamie at centre-half because he read the game so well. The rest is history. “Jamie has always had character and he showed the same emotion in winning the Youth Cup as he did that night in Istanbul. He wears his heart on his sleeve.” Only Carragher, Owen and Thompson from that side would go on to have careers at the highest level. McAuley says it is difficult to know for definite which players are going to cut it but he said he was as certain about a young Carragher as he could possibly be. “You never know which lads are going to make it until they play in the first-team,” he said. “But we knew

Jamie had all the ingredients and he showed he could handle the important games. “Even then, nothing fazed him. “All we needed to do was give him the confidence and reassure him. “Jamie was someone who motivated himself and demanded the highest standards of himself every time he trained and played for the football club. “And he expects the same of everyone else. He is someone who organises, is passionate and enthusiastic. But he is also a fantastic footballer with a lot of natural ability.” Tributes to Carragher have flooded in since he announced he would retire at the end of the season but amongst all of them, McAuley’s words carry extra weight. “I have nothing but praise for the lad,” he said.

CARRAGHER: STEVEN GERRARD EXCLUSIVE Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard have been the beating heart of Liverpool for more than a decade

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher celebrate winning the 2006 FA Cup... and unused sub Carragher (right) was first to console Gerrard after the Reds’ defeat in last year’s final

T WAS a day Steven Gerrard knew was coming but he did his best to delay it. When Jamie Carragher informed him about his retirement plans, the Liverpool skipper pleaded with him to stay on for another year. However, this was one battle that not even Gerrard could win. There will be a spare seat on the team coach next to the talismanic midfielder next season. Carragher hanging up his boots marks the end of an era. For the past 15 years the home-grown pair have stood shoulder to shoulder week after week and led the fight. They have been the modern day Liverpool’s heart and soul. From Cardiff to Dortmund to Istanbul to Wembley, the boys from Bootle and Huyton have provided the inspiration for so many cherished memories. Yet now only Gerrard remains. At Anfield last Sunday he didn’t just rue the departure of a Reds legend but also one of his closest friends. “I tried just as hard as everyone else to try to keep him going for a bit longer,” Gerrard said. “I was trying for him to push on for another year but we have to respect his decision. “Carra’s had a fantastic career and he feels it’s the right time to go out. He can be proud of what he’s done. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be a team-mate of his. “It’s sad for me. I’m going to miss him more than anyone. It’s going to be different for me, not having him alongside me as a vice-captain. “I sit next to him on the team bus and speak to him out of training. He’s the first person I look for when I come to work. Coming in next year and he’s not here will be a lot different for me. “Everyone knows what we’re going to miss on the playing side. Since I made my debut Jamie has been alongside me in the dressing room

Brothers ES M JA RCE Y B EA P

and been a close mate of mine. “He has been through the journey with me as well. I’ve bounced a lot of things off him, highs and lows, and we’ve come through it all together.” A shoulder injury prevented Gerrard from lining up alongside Carragher in his emotional farewell appearance against Queens Park Rangers. But it was fitting that their final game together was the Merseyside derby at Anfield on May 5. It was November 29 1998 when

the duo first lined up together for Liverpool. Gerrard made his debut when he came off the bench to replace Vegard Heggem in a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. Two years and four months younger than the defender, Gerrard had seen Carragher break through into the first team two seasons earlier and was eager to follow in his footsteps. His first meeting with Carragher as a young apprentice at Melwood made a lasting impression.

“I got a bit of verbal from him,” Gerrard said. “I was cleaning the dressing room at Melwood, mopping the floors, and I got a bit of stick about my haircut. “It was his little gang, Jamie Cassidy, Davie Thompson and Carra. They were the trio. It was just typical Carra. “I could go on forever about the player. “But it’s the man, the person, I am going to miss around the place.” The pair enjoyed success together for the first time in the historic

treble-winning season of 2001 when League Cup glory was followed by winning both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup. The League Cup was clinched again two years later. Under Gerard Houllier, Carragher showed his versatility, playing most of his games at full-back. It was only when Rafa Benitez took over in the summer of 2004 that he firmly established himself in his favoured central position. “For too long when he first broke into the team he was underrated,” Gerrard said.

CARRAGHER: STEVEN GERRARD EXCLUSIVE

Carragher congratulates Gerrard on his hat-trick in the Merseyside derby in 2012... and (left) the pair celebrate the greatest night in the Reds’ recent history in Istanbul

in ARMS “People didn’t really appreciate the job he was doing. Maybe that was because he was moved around a lot position wise. “But right from his debut up until now, no-one can fault Carra’s attitude, his effort and his commitment to this football club. “He’s not one of those players Carragher and Gerrard share a joke at Melwood

who only turns it on in big games – you get 100% dedication from Carra every time he pulls on the Liverpool shirt. “I certainly wouldn’t have the medal collection I’ve got without the part Jamie’s played. “We’ve been through a lot of highs and lows together on the pitch. We’ve helped bring each other back down to earth and also picked each other up.” Carragher’s partnership with Sami Hyypia was the best in Europe. They excelled en route to the Champions

League final in 2005. On that unforgettable May night in Istanbul, Carragher and Gerrard enjoyed their finest hour. After Gerrard had instigated the most dramatic of fightbacks, it was Carragher’s heroics at the back which kept AC Milan at bay. “When I think about how important Jamie’s been to us I always think back to Istanbul,” Gerrard said. “He was magnificent. He was in agony with cramp but he was still throwing himself into tackles and blocking everything that came his way, repelling wave after wave of attacks from Milan after we had come back to 3-3. That’s Carra – full of guts.” Twelve months later they lifted the FA Cup for a second time after Gerrard’s masterclass in Cardiff and then a six-year trophy drought was ended with the League Cup triumph at Wembley last year. In the games’ room in Gerrard’s house a shirt with Carragher on the back hangs on the wall alongside names such as Zidane, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry and Alonso. The captain for both club and country will always cherish the times they shared. “It is difficult to play for Liverpool’s first team week in, week out for the best part of 16 years as Carra has done. More so because he is a local lad too. He is rightly considered to be a legend,” Gerrard said. “In the Champions League years when we were regularly in the quarter-finals and semi-finals he was one of the best defenders in Europe without a doubt. “He was always consistent, always led by example. “People mention him alongside the likes of Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, the best defenders that this club has ever had. “For me, if he’s not alongside them he’s a little bit above them. That’s the biggest compliment I can pay him.”

Debut DELIGHT

CARRAGHER: HIS LIVERPOOL DEBUT HIS FIRST APPEARANCE: Middlesbrough 2-1 Liverpool – Coca-Cola Cup fifth round – Wednesday, January 8, 1997 Liverpool: David James, Rob Jones (Jamie Carragher 75), Mark Wright, Phil Babb, Stig Inge Bjørnebye (Mark Kennedy 62), Dominic Matteo, Jason McAteer, Steve McManaman, Michael Thomas, Robbie Fowler, Patrik Berger. Not used: Tony Warner. Goal: McManaman 65

N UP-ANDCOMING young central defender featured on the front page of the ECHO on Wednesday, January 8, 1997. But it wasn’t Jamie Carragher. “The Man Out To Tame Ravanelli” ran the blurb ahead of Liverpool’s Coca-Cola Cup tie at Middlesbrough... alongside a photograph of Dominic Matteo. Fabrizio Ravanelli’s Boro were far from tamed. In fact so shambolic was Liverpool’s defensive display that an 18-year-old Jamie Carragher was introduced for his senior debut 16 minutes from time for a tiring Rob Jones. “Liverpool’s defence was a shambles; the worst it has been all season. And it deserved to be punished for its nonchalance,” opined the ECHO’s Liverpool FC reporter, Ric George. Carragher’s introduction barely registered such was the shock at the defensive display which saw Middlesbrough reach the semi-finals with a 2-1 win. It was a very different story when Carragher made his full debut against Aston Villa 10 days later. This time Carragher was making front, back and centre-spread headlines. “HAVE you heard the one about the lad with Liverpool coursing

the ball. The exuberance of youth through his veins who ignored the allied to a mature football brain. call of The Kop to cross the great “And to round it all off the divide and join Everton?” wrote now not unusual sight of a Phil McNulty. goal for Liverpool at The Kop “No – neither have I. End sending a one-time “Ian Rush, Steve McManaman, Everton-daft lad into ecstasy. Robbie Fowler. All boy blues who “Carragher will go back into now turn red at the very mention cotton wool with the cautionary of Everton’s name. words of Ronnie Moran ringing in “And so it came to pass on Saturday that another gifted young his ears no doubt, but Anfield has already seen enough to mark him man rolled off the Anfield down as one for the future.” production line via a childhood In his match report Ric George spent on the Goodison Park added: “Then, of course, there was terraces. Jamie Carragher; an Evertonian “Jamie Carragher did not have a perhaps, but a true Liverpool passing interest in Everton. He was player in style. Talk about a fanatic. He was a freak – but being unfazed on your full knew which side his bread was debut! Carragher buttered on when it came ID slotted into midfield as to his football future. V “Carragher’s A CE if he was a regular, following the emergence is the I aggression of a sharp part of a double Y NT 20-seconds booking edged sword. He is a RE with the vision and reflection on the intelligence of a veteran. shambles that was “He still has a place in his heart Everton’s youth “policy” until for the Blues, but you would never recent years, and an example of the lure of Liverpool for top young know it from the jubilant manner with which he celebrated his talent. 50th-minute goal. “From the moment he “The 18-year-old, introduced himself to Andy Townsend, no stranger to the stray understandably, went wild with delight after his downward header boot himself, with a first minute from Stig Inge Bjornebye’s corner bone shaker, teenager Carragher had opened the scoring.” looked the part. Looked like a While Anfield legend and Liverpool player. long-time ECHO columnist Tommy “First time passes. Long passes Smith commented: “Both central and short passes. Composure on

Keegan, Kenny and ... Kvarme?

AN ANFIELD legend was the front page story the day Jamie Carragher made his Liverpool debut. The resignation of Kevin Keegan (right) as Newcastle manager – after five years in charge on Tyneside – was THE sports story of the day. Immediate speculation had Kenny Dalglish as favourite to

succeed him. The next day Norwegian defender Bjorn Tore Kvarme signed for the Reds from Rosenborg, sparking competition for central defensive places at Anfield. While Roy Evans issued a ‘hands off’ warning to Roma who made “an audacious bid” to sign Jamie Redknapp.

HIS FULL DEBUT: Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa – Premier League – Saturday, January 18, 1997 Liverpool: David James, Bjørn Tore Kvarme, Mark Wright, Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Dominic Matteo, Jason McAteer, Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher, Stan Collymore (Mark Kennedy 75), Robb ie Fowler. Not used: Tony Warner, Steve Harkness, David Thompson, Lee Jones. Goals: Carragher 50, Collymore 58, Robbie Fowler 63

midfielders played their part, not least Carragher whose positional play was outstanding for such a young man. “He was never tempted to roam or go for more glory after he scored. Instead he sat tight, moved forward when necessary, but in the main allowed Jamie Redknapp to do most of the attacking. “It has set a real dilemma for Roy Evans looking ahead to the Chelsea cup tie. “The manager is in a no-win situation, but on the basis that you don’t change a winning side I would stick with it – regardless of whether John Barnes is available.” Carragher himself didn’t see it that way. In a back page interview he said: “I expect to be out of the team next weekend. John Barnes is a world class player who will come back. I’m just a kid who has played a couple of games. It will be hard to take, but I was always going to be out when then others came back.” He was right. But when boss Roy Evans added: “For young Jamie Carragher it was a dream come true. Now he has to realise this has to happen for the next 10 years,” Carragher took him at his word. And more. ixteen years later he was still making headlines, receiving plaudits and getting praise from Tommy Smith.

Nation focuses on Jack’s glasses WHILE Carragher’s debut was screened live on the still fledgling Sky TV sports channel, on prime time BBC1 Question of Sport was hosted by David Coleman with team captains John Parrott and Ally McCoist. On the other side (Granada) Jack Duckworth

(right) “bowed to pressure from Vera and finally replaced his taped up spectacles with a new pair,” while later in the evening highlights of the Coca-Cola Cup clash were screened. Reds fans probably tuned into Channel 4 instead, where Friends and then Cheers at least supplied a few laughs.

Jamie Carragher celebrates scoring on his full debut

CARRA

Part 3

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My greatest XI ... and his opposition XI

GK: Gianluigi Bu ffon (Juventus) DF: Cafu (Milan) Desailly (Chelse , Marcel a) Cannavaro (Juve , Fabio Paulo Maldini (Mntus), ilan) MF: Ronaldo (M United), Xavi (Banchester ar Roy Keane (Man celona), United), Andres chester Iniesta (Barcelona) FW: Thierry He (Arsenal), Lionel nry Messi (Barcelona) Subs: Patrick Vi (Arsenal), Alessaeira Nesta (Milan), Dindro Drogba (Chelsedier a)

CARRAGHER: THE NIGHT OF HIS LIFE

T’S become known as the Miracle of Istanbul – and Jamie Carragher’s contributions on that never to be forgotten evening were truly miraculous. Like a latter day Lazarus, Carragher lifted his cramp-ravaged body time and again to repel AC Milan’s extra-time advances. And his efforts have gone down into Anfield legend. Some cup finals are identified by one iconic image. There’s Jim Montgomery’s save, Ricky Villa’s dribble, Zinedine Zidane’s acrobatic volley. But in the Ataturk Stadium the enduring image is of a Liverpool defender launching his aching limbs time and again to repel AC Milan’s advances and secure the greatest European Cup final comeback of all time. Clive Tyldesley’s commentary was telling. “Serginho’s kept it in ... Ooh it’s a dangerous ball and Carragher’s just managed to get a toe on it. “It’s a critical toe but he’s stretched and hurt himself.” Such was Carragher’s discomfort that a stretcher was called – and swiftly dismissed. Then minutes later Carragher was called upon to put his body on the line again. Tyldesley took up the commentary: “Serginho meanwhile, and that’s another dangerous ball and Jamie Carragher had to do exactly the same thing again.” He did it instinctively – and for a man who suffered the pain of a broken leg and broken ribs throughout his career he later revealed that the sacrifice was excruciating. “The broken leg was very painful at the time, but it eases off,” he explained. “The cramp is really bad though. You just don’t know what you can do to get rid of it. “Every movement you make just seems to aggravate it. It’s hard to explain to people who’ve never had cramp exactly what it’s like. “I got it in the Carling Cup final as well, and its such a relief when it goes. “In Istanbul I got it in my groin and I was thinking ‘I’m getting married in a couple of weeks and I’ve got cramp in my groin!’ I was a bit worried about it but it eased off eventually.” Eventually, but not completely. And the cramp returned at the most inopportune moment imaginable. Carragher explained: “On the actual moment Stevie lifted the trophy and everyone moves to the middle I got cramp again! “I was holding onto the barrier at the side. You can see it on the telly, it must have been that sprint to Jerzy Dudek that did it!” Carragher, of course, famously gave Jerzy Dudek his “Do a Brucie!” instructions on the night. “I was really worried that Jerzy’s too nice,” Carra later explained. “He’s a really nice fella, and I just thought he’d be stood in the goal being dead polite and nice. “I told him to do anything to put them off. “He hadn’t been booked, so kick the ball away and get booked, just do anything to gain an advantage. “He is such a really nice fella that I was worried that he’d just be too nice in the goal. I just wanted him to try and do as much as he could to put them off, and he did.” Dudek, now the proud possessor

The MIRACLE ID AV CE D TI Y B REN P

of a Champions League winner’s medal, still remembers the moment vividly. “Jamie Carragher jumped on my back, pushing me and telling me 'put them under pressure, do something on the line like Grobbelaar. You remember Grobbelaar put them out of concentration.' “I said: Jamie, let me study the penalties first, we've only got two minutes – please, let me concentrate now. “It was funny but I was really focused on my target. When I went

to take my position in the goal I was thinking I would try a little bit to destroy them. "If Jamie hadn't got on my back that day, pushing me and giving me advice for what I should do for the penalties – I don't know, maybe I would have done a little bit, I wanted to move on the line with sideways movements. But not wobbly legs. “It's growing up; when you see something works, you do it more and more. “No-one else would do it to me

but he wants everything to be right. We had a laugh after the game when we came back with the memories. He said 'Thanks to me, you did that.' I said: '50/50, let's say.” Dudek gave that interview to the Liverpool website last week. Istanbul was eight years ago but people still talk about it often. They always will. Carragher added: “I don’t think it will be ever be beaten by this club. I watch a lot of football in a lot of different countries and I’ve never seen a game like that.

“I feel very fortunate that I played my part in it. It’s one of the greatest nights in the club’s history and there has never been a better European Cup final. “I’ve not watched the full game for a few years but you don’t need to. “That much happened with all the goals, Jerzy Dudek’s save, my cramp, the clearances, the penalties and the celebrations, just watching the big incidents takes about 20 minutes. I never tire of watching that. “Any player will tell you that cramp is the worst thing you can

CARRAGHER: THE NIGHT OF HIS LIFE

11 Clockwise from main picture: Jamie Carragher walks out ahead of the 2005 Champions League final; dejection in the Liverpool defence as Milan race into a 3-0 lead; Jerzy Dudek makes the winning save (and Carragher is first to congratulate him); the lad from Bootle gets his hands on the Champions League trophy; and tackles Didier Drogba during the Anfield leg of the semi-final

“I thought we had thrown everything away ... it was a signal that we were going to the final and, for me, it was the sign that we were going to do it.” – Carra on Eidur Gudjohnsen’s last-gasp miss for Chelsea in the semi-final

maker get. But I had to carry on and I got through it. Then it came back just as we were lifting the cup so that’s why I missed out on getting in some of the photos. “Football is funny. After we lost to Burnley in the FA Cup, if you’d said that a few months later we would play in the greatest European Cup final of all time everyone would have laughed. It just goes to show you are never as far away as you think.” At half-time Liverpool looked miles away. Carragher added: “I was just

hoping it wouldn’t be five or six. I didn’t see any way back and I just didn’t want any embarrassment for the club. “Everyone always asks me what happened in the dressing room at half-time. “First the manager told Traore to get into the shower. That was the polite code for telling a player he's being subbed. “Djibril Cisse was told he'd be coming on to play on the right side and was already getting kitted out. “As Djimi removed his shirt, an

argument was brewing between Steve Finnan and our physio Dave Galley. Finnan had damaged a groin and Dave told Rafa he thought he should be subbed. “Finn was distraught and pleaded to stay on. Rafa wouldn't budge. Traore was told to put his kit back on. “Then, as if struck by a moment of clarity, Benitez made an abrupt decision. ‘Hamann will replace Finnan and we'll play 3-5-2,’ he explained, displaying an assured conviction in his voice which,

temporarily at least, gave me confidence. ‘Pirlo is running the game from midfield, so I want Luis and Stevie to play around him and outnumber them in the middle so he can't pass the ball.’ “With both Cisse and Hamann now preparing to come on, there was only one problem. ‘Rafa, I think we've 12 players out there now.’ Djibril Cisse would have to wait a while longer for his introduction.” The rest, of course, is history ... with Jamie Carragher helping to write it.

CARRAGHER: HIS CAREER IN PICTURES

CARRAGHER: THE TROPHIES

All these things UEFA Super Cup (2): 2001, 2005 (pictured); below, UEFA Champions League (1): 2004–05

FA Cup (2): 2000–01, 2005–06 (pictured)

F ever there was a man for the big occasion then it was Jamie Carragher. In a career spanning over 16 years, the Liverpool defender played in 14 finals and came out on top 11 times. Carragher’s pursuit of winners’ medals took him up and down the country, across Europe and to the far reaches of the globe. It was a journey which began in Cardiff, took him to Dortmund and Istanbul before ending up at Wembley. There were wins tinged with sheer relief and those he ranks as his finest hours on the pitch.

H DE P RI Y

B RKB KI

Carragher’s medal haul began in the 2001 League Cup Final against Birmingham City, known at the time as the Worthington Cup, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Pegged back by the First Division side after Robbie Fowler’s early goal, Liverpool were taken to extra-time and then a penalty shoot-out. Carragher converted the Reds’ sixth penalty to make it 5-4 before Andy Johnson had his spot-kick saved by Sander Westerveld to hand the club their first trophy in six years. “I left Cardiff feeling relieved rather than exhilarated by the

experience of my debut showpiece occasion,” Carragher later reflected in his autobiography. “We were awful.” Keen to ensure that the Reds didn’t leave empty handed, Carragher actually demanded the responsibility of taking a spot-kick in the shoot-out. The finish was emphatic, but it is his run-up that team-mate and close friend Steven Gerrard remembers fondly. “The run-up was so long they should have had an athletics track there,” Gerrard said. “It looked about 100 metres. I didn’t want to watch because I was

worried a good friend would stick the ball in the stand, but I had to. “It was hilarious. I said out loud: ‘Carra, what are you doing?’ “I tried desperately to keep a straight face because if somebody took a snap of me laughing I’d be in serious trouble.” Seconds later he was laughing – with relief – at a clinically converted spot-kick. A six year drought soon became a season double as Liverpool defeated Arsenal in the FA Cup final that May. The ‘Michael Owen’ final was again held at the Millennium Stadium as Gerard Houllier’s men stunned the Gunners with two late strikes.

There were times when Liverpool rode their luck and Carragher said they had taken the art of winning when not playing well to “new heights.” And though he admits Arsenal out-played them, Carragher said Liverpool would never be out-fought. The club’s hunt for an historic treble took them to Westfalenstadion, Dortmund for the UEFA Cup final against Alaves. Liverpool had been criticised for their functional approach throughout the competition but there was nothing but thrills and spills in a final they won 5-4.

CARRAGHER: THE TROPHIES

that I have WON League Cup (3): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12

FA Community Shield (2): 2001, 2006 (pictured); UEFA Cup (1): 2000–01 Carragher won all three medals that season whilst playing at left-back. The summer had passed and on the eve of the new season, Liverpool picked up another piece of silverware. A 2-1 win over Manchester United in Cardiff secured the Charity Shield on August 12, though Carragher’s involvement was limited to that of a late second half substitute. Just over two weeks later and yet another winners’ medal furnished the Carragher collection at this Blundellsands home as German giants Bayern Munich were beaten in the European Super Cup at Stade

Louis II in Monaco. John Arne Riise, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen had the Reds 3-0 up just after half-time and though Bayern rallied to pull two back, Liverpool held on with Carragher playing the full 90 minutes. The trophy haul continued in March 2003 when Manchester United were seen off as Gerrard and Owen scored the goals that lifted the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium before Carragher’s defining moment on a balmy May night in 2005. Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium was the scene for his most glorious night as Carragher turned in a legendary

performance to help the Reds win the Champions League title. Liverpool returned to Monaco that August to pick up the European Super Cup once more, this time defeating CSKA Moscow 3-1 in extra-time. Extra-time and penalties were needed for Liverpool to claim the FA Cup for the first time since 2001. An unfortunate Carragher own goal gave West Ham United the lead before Liverpool forced the game beyond 90 minutes when Gerrard made it 3-3 in an up and down cracker. The Reds won the penalty shoot-out when Pepe Reina saved

three times but Carragher says the final belonged to one man. “I know people say I'm biased, but I wouldn't swap him even for Ronaldinho,” he said. "Ronaldinho is the best there is, but Stevie is even better, he is so important to us. Nobody at this club would swap him, because he is different class.” The Community Shield was added the following August when Chelsea were dispatched, thanks to goals from Riise and Peter Crouch. But Liverpool and Carragher would have to wait nearly another six years for their next triumph. And it would prove to be the closing success of Carragher’s career

as Liverpool’s supporters once more had their emotions put through the wringer against Cardiff City in the League Cup final at Wembley. Carragher, a late replacement in normal time for Daniel Agger, said: “Nothing beats celebrating in front of your own fans. It been too long since we've done this and so hopefully it is the first of many more to come. “We had some great days at Cardiff but I don't think anything beats Wembley and the drive up to the stadium seeing your own supporters.” It is fair to say they enjoyed seeing him there too.

CARRAGHER: HIS GOALS

FIVE of the best T

HERE was a time when Jamie Carragher finished a season as the leading scorer for his team. But the further his Liverpool career progressed, the further away from the opposition’s goal he played. Carragher’s move into midfield and then defence proved the making of him but for a boy who idolised Graham L I preventing goals H DE Sharp, rather than scoring them, will have taken Y BRI some getting used to. K The 35-year-old bows IR out of the game with five senior goals in 16 seasons. That tally drops to four, if you live your life by the rules of the FA’s Dubious Goals Committee who took away his goal against Middlesbrough five years ago. His strike at the Kop End that afternoon was his last for Liverpool as the width of a goalpost denied Carragher a fairytale farewell against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. A goal then would have provided a neat symmetry to his Anfield career. On January 18, 1997, Carragher was handed his full league debut for the Reds at home to Aston Villa. Illness to Patrik Berger meant the 18-year-old took his place in midfield alongside Jamie Redknapp. After five minutes a corner was swung into the area and Carragher met it with a header past Mark Bosnich. “I was a bit nervous, but it was more excitement really,” he said after the game. “I got booked after 20 seconds, that calmed me down.” It was two years before Carragher found the net again. Southampton were the visitors to Anfield and made the long journey back to the south coast having been thumped 7-1. Robbie Fowler had already bagged a hat-trick by the time Carragher smashed home after Redknapp’s free-kick was spilled by goalkeeper Paul Jones. If two years felt like a long time for a player used to scoring for fun in his younger days, six years will have felt like a lifetime. The third goal of Carragher’s Anfield career arrived on July 26, 2005 against little known Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas. At the Dar and Girenas Stadium, in a Champions League second qualifying round first leg, Carragher headed home Steven Gerrard’s corner. “It has been such a long time since I scored, it has been embarrassing really,” he said. “The manager said before the game that he wants three or four from me this season, so hopefully I can do that now. I probably deserve the match ball after that. Me scoring? It's like someone scoring a hat-trick!” For his fourth goal, Gerrard was again the supply line as Daniel Agger flicked on his corner for the on-rushing Carragher to score with a sliding finish at the back post past Fulham’s Jan Lastuvka at the Kop End. Liverpool won the game on December 9, 2006 4-0. His final goal in a Red shirt came on August, 23, 2008, again at Anfield. Middlesbrough held the lead through Mido’s 70th minute goal but with the clock ticking down Carragher let fly from the edge of the area and, with the aid of a deflection, it wrong-footed Ross Turnbull. Gerrard capped the comeback in the final seconds to secure the win.

B K

“The best defender I've played with at Liverpool – and the worst finisher I've ever played with!” Jerzy Dudek’s verdict

Clockwise from above: Fulham, Middlesbrough and Southampton feel the force of Carra’s shooting boots

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Premier 1 18/1/97 v Aston Villa, Anfield, 3-0 won League – , 2 16/199 v Southampton, Anfield 7-1 won – Premier League enas 3 26/7/05 FBK Kaunas, Dar & Gir 3-1 won – St, Champions League mier 4 9/12/06 v Fulham, Anfield, Pre League – won 4-0 , 5 23/8/08 v Middlesbrough, Anfield 2-1 won – gue Lea r Premie

CARRAGHER: THE ENGLAND MAN

CARRA FOR ENGLAND Debut April 28, 1999, v Hungary Last game June 18, 2010, v Algeria Caps 38

Three LIONS on his shirt

Jamie Carragher tackles the USA’s Robbie Findley in the 2010 World Cup finals and (far right) holds court at a training session in Baku ahead of a qualifier in 2004

A fresh-faced Carragher wears an England schoolboys kit with pride in 1993

Carragher sees his penalty saved in a shoot-out, against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final

Carragher on the bench with Wayne Rooney at the 2006 World Cup – ultimately, England managers’ failure to pick him at centre-back frustrated him

HE symbolism has not been lost on Jamie L Carragher. In April HI DE 1999, the Liverpool defender made his England Y BRI debut by replacing Rio K Ferdinand against Hungary IR in Budapest. Carragher would then spend over a decade trying to get ahead of him in the international queue. A total of 38 caps in an 11-year career tells of the struggle Carragher had in convincing a succession of managers that he was worthy of a place at the heart of England’s defence. Ferdinand and John Terry were the regular partnership but Sol Campbell, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate would all elbow their way ahead of him at various points. By the time Steve McClaren took the reins, Jamie was ‘third choice’. Third choice wasn’t good enough at that stage of his career. So in 2007 the Liverpool man decided to add years to his club career by retiring from England duty. Carragher answered an SOS from Fabio Capello in 2010 to play in the World Cup but it would prove only to be a brief return to the international scene. He will no doubt reflect on his Three Lions journey, which included two World Cups and a European Championship, as one that was bittersweet. Carragher wanted to represent his country and fought for his place, but Liverpool would always come first. Carragher was dedicated to the England cause, cancelling holidays to join squads at short notice, but disliked the volatile streak in demanding supporters. He craved victory as much as anyone but didn’t take defeats as badly as some of his team-mates. In the wake of England’s quarter-final exit in the 2006 World Cup to Portugal, Carragher reflected: “I didn’t feel the same emptiness I sensed in others.” Carragher missed the penalty in the shoot-out that sealed their exit and though hurt, he was left with the feeling that “at least it wasn’t Liverpool.” But any notion that the Reds defender didn’t care about being in the side was shattered one afternoon in pre-season on his way from training at Melwood. Carragher was labelled a “bottler” by a radio station for considering international retirement. Incensed, he rang the show and confronted the host. “Don’t ever call me a bottler on radio with all those thousands of people listening,” he said on air. “I’ve had the stomach to fight for my place for eight years. “It’s going to be difficult for me to be seen as anything more than a squad player and at this stage of my career that’s not what I’m interested in. “Liverpool has always been my first priority and, having just signed a new four-year contract, I want all my focus to be on the club winning trophies. “I’ve always said I want to stay at Liverpool for life and I think not playing for England would help make that more realistic.” McClaren pleaded with Carragher to reconsider but England lost the services of one of Europe’s very best defenders. “I was never in love with playing for England in the first place and by the time I stopped, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Carragher, who once held the record number of appearances for the under-21s. England’s loss was Liverpool’s gain.

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N TOTAL, Jamie Carragher played under six Liverpool managers – but it’s Gerard Houllier he credits as having the greatest influence on his career. When the Frenchman arrived at Anfield in the summer of 1998, Carragher was a 20-year-old rookie still looking to hold down a regular place. Under the guidance of Houllier, he blossomed into a mainstay of the side. He rarely played in his preferred position of centre-back but his versatility was invaluable. Houllier had heard rave reviews about Carragher before he got to work with him and the reality didn’t disappoint as they established a strong bond. “Tom Saunders was the first person to speak to me about Carra,” Houllier said. “He very much liked the player and always felt that he would mature into a fine centre-back. Peter Robinson also spoke very highly about him. “I felt that he needed to develop as a footballer in other positions first but because of his ES passion and M A CE commitment, he was always going to Y AR become an important E part of my team in whatever area of the pitch I thought was necessary at the time. “A lot of great centre-backs start their career at full-back. It helps them with technique and vision – French players like Maxime Bossis and Patrick Battiston did that. Carra was the same. “Carra has been a very good player but most importantly he is a very good man. When I first became manager, he was jovial and lively. He is a man who possesses what the French say a joie de vivre (joy of life) and appreciates where he is. “Some people say they love football but I don’t think many people love football quite as much as Carra. Of all the players I’ve managed, he is probably the most fanatical about the game. “The most important aspect of his character, though, is that he’s a very loyal person. I could always rely on him in football and away from football.” Carragher believes he has Houllier to thank for the longevity of his career. It was the former France boss who transformed the training facilities and methods at Melwood. He also warned Carragher to change his lifestyle and settle down. “I remember I sat down with him and said that if he really loved football as much as I thought he did he needed to live his life in the correct way,” Houllier said. “I said that between the ages of 20 and 25 you can go out and have a drink and enjoy yourself by staying out late, but if you continue to do that, by your late 20s, you will be finished as a footballer at a club like Liverpool. “I believed that if Carra looked after himself, he could play for Liverpool well into his 30s. I knew he would listen because he is intelligent and understands the sacrifices it takes, not just to get to the top but to stay there as well.” The central defensive partnership of Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz meant Carragher played most of his games under Houllier

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CARRAGHER: HIS FIRST BOSSES

He is a true “Some people say they love football but I don’t think many people love football quite as much as Carra. Of all the players I’ve managed, he is probably the most fanatical about the game.” Gerard Houllier

Carragher (back left) celebrates as Robbie Fowler (front left) and Sami Hyypia (front right) lift the UEFA Cup in Dortmund in 2001

at full-back. The signings of Christian Ziege, Markus Babbel, John Arne Riise and Steve Finnan all raised question marks over his place in the side but on each occasion he rose to the challenge. “I remember one summer we went to the Far East for a few pre-season games,” Houllier said. “One of the days, we were in Hong Kong and we found a beautiful terrace that overlooked the city.

“I looked through one of those tourist telescopes where you pay some money to have a great view of the city. “As I was peering through it and admiring the scene, I heard a voice from behind me: ‘there he is – the boss is probably looking for another left-back’. “It was Carra and all the players started laughing. He had a great sense of humour. I tried to sign players from other clubs to put players in my team under pressure.

“Carra always managed to fend off the competition because of his determination. Some players crumble under such pressure, but Carra thrived on it.” The highlight of Houllier’s six-year reign was the remarkable treble-winning season of 2000/01. Having won the League Cup after a penalty shootout triumph against Birmingham City, Liverpool then lifted both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup in the space of four unforgettable days.

CARRAGHER: HIS FIRST BOSSES

WARRIOR ‘Please, boss, no more left-backs...’ Carragher shares a joke with Gerrard Houllier and John Arne Riise

“For Houllier to make him first choice left back, even though he is not naturally left footed, says it all. Competitive and a born winner, he deserves to be first choice for England.” Reds legend Ian Rush in 2002

They were the first senior honours of Carragher’s career and Houllier admits his contribution at left-back to a historic achievement was huge. “Defensively, Carra was magnificent,” he said. “Even though he was right footed, he had an excellent understanding of angles and because he was playing on a side of the pitch that wasn’t natural to him, he could start the play from deep. “There are many players now like

Phillipe Lahm of Germany and Bayern Munich who can play at left-back despite being right-footed. “Although Carra and Lahm for instance have different attributes, what they share is football intelligence so they adjust to situations when they are happening on the pitch very quickly. “For me, 2000-01 was a fantastic season. Okay, we won the three cups but probably the biggest thing was qualifying for the Champions League because

Roy Evans presents Jamie Carragher with an award for playing his 700th game

EVANS The biggest thing about him was his character

Liverpool hadn’t played in the European Cup for such a long time.” The Community Shield and European Super Cup were soon added to the trophy cabinet, while the League Cup was secured once again in 2003 after victory over Manchester United in Cardiff. Houllier parted company with Liverpool in the summer of 2004 but he was in Istanbul a year later to watch Carragher inspire Rafa Benitez’s side to Champions League

glory. That night provided an enduring image for his former manager. “If one moment can sum up Carra’s attitude towards football and life, it was in Istanbul when he was clearly very tired and suffering with cramp, but he still managed to throw himself into tackles to save the team,” Houllier added. “He brought trophies to the club and he also brought heart. Carra is a true Liverpool warrior.”

IT WAS manager Roy Evans who gave Jamie Carragher his Liverpool debut in a League Cup tie at the Riverside on January 8 1997. The 18-year-old was brought off the bench to replace Rob Jones 15 minutes from time but couldn’t save the Reds from a 2-1 defeat. Evans liked what he saw in the youngster. A home bow followed against West Ham before Carragher capped his full debut against Aston Villa with a goal. Since his departure from Anfield in November 1998, Evans has watched Carragher’s career unfold with relish. “Of course you need ability to get anywhere near signing for a club like Liverpool but the biggest thing I saw in Jamie back then was character,” Evans said. “He was a proud Evertonian in his early days and would stand there in front everyone asking how Everton had got on. You needed guts to do that. Over the years he turned into a true red. “He could be cantankerous at times and always had an opinion but he learned to wind it in. “In those early days we played him at full-back or in front of the back four. It’s tough to play centre-back at the top level at an early age as getting caught out can be soul destroying. “It’s a position that needs a fair bit of experience. With every game he played he learned a bit more and he improved year after year. “He developed into a top class centre-back and the rest is history. What made him such a great player for me is that he played every game like it was a Champions League final. “I don’t call many people legends but Jamie is one. We’ve got to fill a void in terms of his personality and his ability.” Evans made the journey from Liverpool player to coach to manager over three decades and hopes Carragher returns to Anfield in the future and follow in his footsteps. “I’d love to see him as a future Liverpool manager,” he added. “He is so dedicated and knowledgeable. He’s vociferous and gets his points made. I think he has all the credentials.”

CARRAGHER: THE CAPTAIN

Follow the LEADER

Standing in for the injured Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher leads the Liverpool side out in his penultimate game, at Fulham

AMIE CARRAGHER led Liverpool out for the 95th – and final time – against QPR on Sunday. But it was the first time he was asked to pull on the captain’s armband which spoke volumes for the leadership qualities he possessed from a tender age. The visit of Manchester City on September 9, 2000 was the first time Captain Carragher led out the Reds. He was just 22-years of age – and he was chosen by Gerard Houllier to skipper a team which included Germany’s European champions Markus Babbel and Dietmar Hamann, experienced Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz and multi-capped Nigerian international Rigobert Song. Predictably Carragher led the Reds to victory. It would be the first of many occasions he was asked to lead out the Reds. And he enjoyed the thrill of lifting silverware aloft as skipper on two memorable occasions. In July 2005, Carra signed a new four-year deal at Anfield. His

ID AV CE D TI Y B REN P

loyalty was rewarded a month later when, in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard, he lifted the European Super Cup following victory over CSKA Moscow in Monte Carlo. A year later Carragher wore the captain’s armband in the Community Shield against champions Chelsea, jointly holding the silver dish aloft with injured skipper Gerrard. But then the armband always seemed a natural fit for a footballer who organised, encouraged and led by example whether he was named as captain or not. Carragher demanded the same levels of dedication and application from his team-mates as he always supplied – and if he believed any of his team-mates dipped below those standards he wasn’t slow to let them know. The Reds were cruising to a 2-0 away win at West Brom in the penultimate match of 2008/09. Manchester United couldn’t be caught at the top, there was no chance of the Reds being

overtaken in the Champions League slots, but that didn’t stop Carragher from taking team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa to task as The Baggies threatened to snatch a late consolation. The altercation attracted scrutiny after the match – but for Carragher the words were necessary. “We can’t win the league now but there are a number of targets we can still aim for,” he explained afterwards. “We want to keep a clean sheet and we want Pepe to have a chance of the Golden Glove for the third season running. Pepe is one behind Van der Sar now and there’s a chance Van der Sar won’t play next week, so we wanted to make sure he got a clean sheet today. “To be honest we were a bit lackadaisical in our defending all through the game and they had too many chances.” That was Carragher to a tee. A leader whether he wore the captain’s armband or not – and always a winner.

“Jamie Carragher is the true boss in the dressing room. He orders everybody around and yells a lot.” Former team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa

Jamie Carragher’s organising skills are renowned

CARRAGHER: THE FOUNDATION

‘I wanted to give something BACK’

Main picture: Jamie Carragher scores – for Everton – in his testimonial, which raised £1m for his charity. Left: Carragher with Tuebrook tennis ace Mary Clarke, one of the many youngsters to have benefited. Above: Carragher launches the Foundation at his Cafe Sport in the city centre

ETIRING Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher’s legacy extends far beyond Anfield thanks to the tireless work of his charity, the 23 Foundation. Formed in 2009, it has helped change the lives of thousands of youngsters across Merseyside and around the world. The foundation supports a whole host of youth charities, clubs and community projects by providing grants. It has gone from strength to strength since Carragher donated all the funds from his testimonial match and gala dinner in September 2010 to the foundation

ES M JA RCE Y B EA P

– ploughing more than £1million into the coffers. The game against an Everton XI at Anfield was a fitting tribute to the Kop legend’s remarkable service to the club as he scored for both teams in the Reds’ 4-1 victory in front of more than 35,000 fans. “It wasn’t about me, the aim was to try to raise £1million and it was brilliant we did that,” Carragher said. “It was great that David Moyes brought Everton across and it was a good game. It was nice that were so many old faces involved. Things could not have worked out better.” His former clubmates turned out in force as he lined up alongside

the likes of Michael Owen, Luis Garcia, Emile Heskey, Stephen Warnock, Steve Finnan, Gary McAllister, Danny Murphy and Jerzy Dudek, while Gerard Houllier sat beside Roy Hodgson on the bench. Liverpool skipper and close friend Steven Gerrard, who had played 90 minutes against Bulgaria at Wembley less than 24 hours earlier, was given permission to leave the England squad and head north to make a brief cameo. “It was important for me to be involved because I am so close to Jamie, not just as a team-mate but also as a friend,” Gerrard said. “I wanted to be there and share the occasion with him because

we’ve played together for so long. It went perfectly for him and he certainly deserved it.” Donations from sponsored events and the auctioning off of Liverpool FC memorabilia have all helped the Foundation to grow and expand its reach in recent years. As well as giving Merseyside children the chance to achieve their dreams, after being inundated with requests from further afield it also now provides assistance to projects in places such as the Far East, South Africa, Scandinavia and America. “I decided that donating the proceeds from my testimonial to charity wasn’t enough as I wanted

to set up something that would last a lifetime. That is why the Foundation was formed,” Carragher said. “I wanted to give something back and it has gone a lot better than I thought. When it first started I wasn’t sure how it would work out, but it has gone really well and it’s rewarding to see the money making a difference. “Obviously, we put the money in from the testimonial and we’ve had great support for the Foundation from so many people. “That has enabled us to fund more and more initiatives and it’s something I’ll continue to be involved with as there are a lot of people who need help.”

CARRAGHER: THE MANAGERS

A L G L I S H F r o m t h e S a n g s t e r t o t h e S a n D BENITEZ

Carra one of the best in Europe

THE young Jamie Carragher made a lasting impression on Kenny Dalglish. His goal-scoring exploits for Bootle Boys earned him an invitation to attend Liverpool’s School of Excellence when he was nine in 1987. Dalglish, then first team manager, was a regular visitor to Anfield’s Vernon Sangster Leisure Centre and would often join in the five-a-side matches. He nicknamed Carragher ‘Sharpy’

as the boyhood Everton fan, whose hero was Graeme Sharp, would turn up for training with Liverpool wearing his Blues kit. “I remember him well in those days as a centre-forward as my son Paul was there at the time,” Dalglish said. “The fact he strolled in wearing his Everton strip said a lot about the young Carra’s character. “He showed no inhibitions, regardless of the surroundings. Whether he was playing a five-aside aged 11 or excelling in the San Siro

JAMIE CARRAGHER remembers well an exchange with Rafa Benitez as he left a press conference ahead of a 2005 clash with Chelsea. Carragher, due himself to face the media straight after, asked his then manager what he had told them. “I said you were a better defender than John Terry,” replied Benitez, accompanying his words with a 'Pinocchio' gesture. In other words; “I lied”. Benitez's words, though, would prove prophetic. As over the next five years, Carragher would match, and in many people's eyes surpass, his England rival. “I think in 2007 John Terry said that Carra was one of the best centre backs at this time,” says Benitez. “And at that time we were really pleased to be able to watch him playing every game with the consistency he did. “To play more than 700 games for any team in football is really a great achievement, but to do it for one club is even better.” Benitez, a manager who has always prided himself on his side's defensive organisation, used DVDs of his great Valencia side to help encourage Carragher, a versatile, rather than specialist, defender when he arrived, and by 2007 he was convinced Carra belonged on the world stage. "For me Jamie is one of the best defenders in Europe,” he said. “He is always focused on the game, always trying to learn. That is the key for me because each season he improves a little bit. “He is always listening and that is one of the reasons he can keep improving. It is the same every training session, always working hard, always trying to improve. “He reminds me of a hunting dog, when I want something specific done in defence he is very willing to learn. As a defender he is someone you do not want to play against, to have marking you. “He has a strong character. He is always shouting and talking to the others, such a key player for us. He is good for the young players, showing them what to do and how to play. “Carra lets them know what is expected. It is so important, he puts people under pressure and that is really good for team spirit. Jamie was playing really well, he has been a really key player for us."

when Cardiff City were beaten on penalties in last season’s Carling Cup final at Wembley. The Scot says the centre-back’s commitment to the cause made him a pleasure to work with. “His leadership on the pitch has been so important to Liverpool Football Club,” Dalglish said. “He’s been an unbelievable servant for the club, both on and off the pitch. We can only be grateful for the wonderful service he has given to Liverpool.

Replace him?

Carragher and Benitez in 2009

or Nou Camp in the Champions League, he’s never changed. “He was a prolific goal scorer in his age group, and my youth scouts were telling me they had high hopes he’d progress through our ranks.” Dalglish’s return to Anfield for a second spell in charge in January 2011 saw Carragher get the opportunity to play for the Kop legend. It was under Dalglish that the vice-captain secured the final piece of silverware of his glittering career

need of greater leadership RENDAN and handed the centre-back a RODGERS was recall for the visit of Norwich brutally honest City. Carragher shone and his when asked how consistency ensured he you go about trying to fill retained his place for the rest Jamie Carragher's boots of the campaign. at Anfield. “Jamie has been absolutely The current Reds boss is outstanding for me since I only too aware that his joined the club,” he said. vice-captain's retirement will “He has been a model leave a gaping hole in his professional on and off Liverpool squad. the pitch and has shown “I don't think he can be an unswerving replaced,” Rodgers said. “He commitment to our is a real iconic player for this club and will be irreplaceable. work. He's never had a lazy day. “I genuinely think he is a “Earlier in the season he player who I would call a didn't play as much as he pure defender. You see a lot would have liked but when he of rash defending nowadays did play he was excellent. but he defends with great “He's a great intelligence, he knows organiser and in the when to mark a man second half of the and when to mark ES we space and M A CE season benefited from understands having him back in the basic Y AR the team. He has principles of E been a giant for me. defending. He's an incredible man “He is an - one of a dying breed.” outstanding leader Rodgers would have dearly and organiser in the team and loved to retain Carragher's to find someone with all services for another 12 those capabilities and who months but respects his has the heart the size of a decision to call time after 17 lion is very difficult. seasons at the highest level. “That type you won't find “Look at the quality of his but you have to look for performances, for me he other types with other could play on but his dream qualities and that is was to go out at the top and something we will have to he has fulfilled that dream,” do.” he said. Rodgers says he feels “There's a real sadness for indebted to the me because he epitomises professionalism and everything that I want. experience of Carragher “But he's been an absolute following his arrival from credit to his football club and Swansea City last summer. his family and he's been a Carragher started just one sheer joy to work with. Premier League match in the “He'll move on to the first half of the season but media next year and he'll knuckled down and never demonstrate his intelligence. complained about a lack of His knowledge of football game time. means he will be a joy to In mid-January Rodgers watch.” decided his backline was in

J P

“He defends with great intelligence, he knows when to mark a man and when to mark space.”

CARRAGHER: THE MANAGERS

Siro, he gave his all “The fans hold him in such high esteem because they can relate to him. “Everyone who has played football has had a bad game at some time but he has never once had a bad attitude. The fans will always stand by you if your attitude is correct – and Jamie’s has always been spot on. No one could ever doubt that. “We just have to be grateful that Liverpool has had a servant like Jamie. As a local boy it is always special and Jamie is a local boy who

has never once got carried away with it all and who can relate to the supporters. “That’s really important. It is not as if he has breezed in and breezed out. He has always had a very special affinity with the supporters. “Carra’s name will sit comfortably alongside those of Ron Yeats, Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson. I am sure the door at Liverpool Football Club will always be open to him.”

HODGSON He’s a model pro... and he never complains

NO CHANCE Carragher with Kenny Dalglish at his book launch

Jamie Carragher shares a joke with Brendan Rodgers in training and, right, gives the bench a thumbs-up during his last Merseyside derby this month

Roy Hodgson keeps an eye on Jamie Carragher in training before a Europa League tie at Trabzonspor in 2010

APPEARANCES BY

Season 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 Totals

League 2 20 34 36 34 33 35 22 38 36 35 35 38 37 28 21 24 508

FA 0 0 2 2 6 2 3 3 0 6 1 4 3 2 0 5 1 40

LC 1 2 2 2 6 1 5 0 3 0 1 3 1 1 0 5 2 35

SEASON

Europe 0 1 6 0 12 16 11 4 15 13 13 13 12 13 10 0 11 150

Other 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4

Total 3 23 44 40 58 53 54 29 56 57 51 55 54 53 38 31 38 737

ROY HODGSON’S shortlived Anfield reign meant he only spent six months working with Jamie Carragher but the centre-back’s qualities made their mark. The current England boss parted company with Liverpool back in January 2011. “Jamie has been a major figure at the club and has been for all of his career,” Hodgson said. “If anyone deserves the accolades, it’s him. He was everything I expected him to be: a good defender, a great club man, a tremendous enthusiast, very good trainer, first class professional and a person with his own attitude which you wish you could find in every player you work with. “I can’t say good enough things about him but the most important thing is said by his record. “All the games he’s played and all the sacrifices and great efforts he’s made for Liverpool Football Club tells you everything you need to know about him. “It was always evident that he was a model professional who gave everything he had for club and country. “People like him and Steven Gerrard epitomise Liverpool Football Club. He played left-back, right-back and centre-half for me and never moaned about it. He just got on with the job. “He has had a fantastic career and will always be looked on very fondly by everyone associated with Liverpool Football Club.”

Whatever happens

after I hang up my boots I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine life without

L L A B T O FO