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BRIAN READE ON JAMIE CARRAGHER (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG158416080115-1058.htm)

In an exclusive column for Liverpoolfc.tv the Daily Mirror's Brian Reade pays tribute to Jamie Carragher as the Liverpool defender looks forward to his 500th appearance in a red shirt this evening.

I can tell you with some certainty that Bill Shankly would have loved Jamie Carragher because he told me so.

Not via the gin-soaked throat of Madame Margie The Menopausal Medium in the back room of a London Road pub one wet Tuesday afternoon, but on a baking hot day in Melwood in June 1975, when I asked him to name the best Liverpool player he'd ever managed:

"I've had many skilful men," he rasped, "and the likes of Peter Thompson, Ian St John, Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway were the ones who caught the eye. But the best professional of the lot was Gerry Byrne. He wasn't flashy and he wouldn't score you goals. But he was hard and skilful and gave you everything he had. More than that he was totally honest. Which is the greatest quality of all. He was a true Liverpudlian who couldn't look his fellow Scousers in the face after a game unless he'd given everything he had for 90 minutes."

Can you think of anyone who has worn the Liver Bird since Gerry Byrne more befitting of that description than Jamie Carragher? Can you think of another player ahead of Carra who you would count on to do what Byrne did in the 1965 FA Cup Final: Break his collar bone after three minutes, then, because substitutes weren't allowed, play another 117 minutes, delivering a cross that produced the opening goal? (Okay forget about the cross.)

For Byrne in '65, playing into extra time with two edges of jagged bone grinding together, read Carra in the dying stages in Istanbul in '05. Body wracked with excruciating pain, legs so cramped he could barely walk, pushing himself on, throwing himself in, carrying his team towards the finishing line.

I'm telling you, Shankly would have loved him. The great man's tongue would have lacerated clowns like Steve McClaren who were so blinded by the hype surrounding John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King, they failed to give Jamie an England shirt with the correct number on the back.

But then, over the years, many people have got Carragher wrong. And I hope there's a few of you out there who are big enough to admit it. During all those dire games under Gerard Houllier when he was played out of position at full-back Jamie took some awful stick. Certain Anfield regulars and many armchair supporters, frustrated at the lack of style and subtlety on the pitch took their frustrations out on Jamie's limited attacking skills (without questioning why Igor Biscan was taking his place at centre-half).

When Liverpool failed to break down teams Jamie copped it for not doing enough in the opposition's half, the same way Ronnie Whelan and Sammy Lee used to cop it - two other players with wonderful intelligence and work ethic who were integral parts of the red machine.

Carra kept his head down and his mouth shut and gave his all, despite knowing he was being used out of position. It was the same when he played for England and pundits and phone-in critics took their turn to underestimate him.

I still laugh at The Times's "ratings assessment" of his performance against Juventus in Turin in 2005: "Jamie Carragher: 6/10. Made important interceptions and blocks, although he caused anxiety when giving the ball away on the edge of his own penalty area."

I wrote at the time that it was a bit like giving Geoff Hurst 6/10 after his World Cup-winning hat-trick in 1966 and writing: "Only had three decent shots, and caused quite a bit of anxiety when one hit the bar and bounced on to the line."

Carragher was a colossus against Juventus. Just as he was in every single game on the road to Istanbul. When Rafa Benitez liberated him from his full-back misery and stuck him in the position he was born to play he was a revelation. By the end of the 2004/5 season we were all dreaming of a team of Carraghers and laughing at his exclusion from the PFA's Footballer of the Year short-list.

Because in a season of heart-thumping highs and gut-wrenching lows he was the club's most consistent performer. The true driving force, composed, committed and focused in every game.

When Benitez lost Steven Gerrard for that game in Turin, he said: "big problems require big solutions". No they don't, they require big men. Heroes who fear no one, lead by example and are prepared to die for a club.

In an era when many players see themselves as precious brands and allow their disloyalty to be seized upon by sharp-suited shysters, Carragher strikes a blow for the heroes of yesteryear.

For honest men who think the way fans with a fraction of their talent think, who have only four words to say when offered a generous contract extension: "Give me the pen." Men who don't spout cliches about performances "not being acceptable for a club of this size" but attempt to do something about it.

Carra is one of that rare breed whose desire is not to pine for a bigger stage or wage slip but to pay back their fellow working-class men who have made them so fantastically rich. Oh and he's quite handy at squaring up to muppets in permed wigs too.

Whenever I look at him in the heat of battle I see Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Sammy Lee, John Aldridge, Jimmy Case and Gerry Byrne. Players who were underrated to a criminal degree outside Anfield and who rarely make it into the starting line-ups of most fans' all-time Liverpool XIs. But men who were loved by the Kop because week-in, week-out, they sweated blood for their fellow Scousers. That's why Shankly would have loved him.

Well done Jamie, here's to your next 500 Liverpool games. If not playing in them all, what about managing in the last couple of hundred?

Well can you think of a better man to trust your life with?

;tightend;

I've been saying for AGES that he should play for England...what do I know about footie though? Top player and I'm sure Capello will pick him very soon.

lol it was his choice to stop playing for England!

We all dream of a team of Carragher's...

he wasn't playing for England....I think that was the problem..that and Steve McLaren being a fanny..

but he stopped being available for selection

one hopes, without McCLaren, that he reverse this decision and is included in squads

Wouldn't get into a first choice team  I expect but a valuable squad member due to versatility

Exactly the situation why he stopped making himself available for selection!!

I think he has the potential to be for England what Cocu was to Holland/PSV and Barcelona. All managers said about him "The first name you put down is Philip Cocu, and then you figure out where to play him" :)

He was over-looked as centre-back on numerous occasions, and instead inferior defenders were given a chance.

It's not much fun travelling round the world to big games, and then being sat on the bench every time.  Why put himself through that when instead he can stay at home with his wife and kids, and rest for the next Liverpool game?

Aye OK, as long as his wage demands aren't too steep ;)

1 because its your national team

same applies to Scholes

2 which inferior defenders? I wouldn't accept Ferdinand, Terry, King, Woodgate as inferior. Maybe comparable but not inferior/manager's will have different views
 

An injured Woodgate not inferior?  An injured (or not match-fit) King?

I think Woodgate and King are fine players. Woodgate to my mind without the injuries would have been above most english centre backs. Real Madrid certainly thought so

So is Carragher, a fine player

they may or may not have been half fit, but to my mind its a close call for this lot/manager dependent and not an open or shut case either way as to who is "better"


at full back Carragher doesn't get in ahead of Richards (or didn't ahead of Neville) or A Cole on the other side

As defensive midfielder..not ahead of Hargreaves/Carrick to my mind, if we play one


He's a victim of his versatility, but I thought it was strange to excuse himself from the national team in those circumstances

You're getting muddled in this versatility issue.  He was the best centre back available for England on a number of occasions, and was overlooked.  King wasn't fit, Woodgate was injured.  Carra was the best player for the role at the time.

But if it means he plays more games at full-fitness for Liverpool I really don't care. 

Lots of managers like to have a combination of a 'ball-playing' CB, and an 'out-and-out defending' CB... Rio is far and away the best defensive user of the ball, and Terry (it is probably agreed) is the best 'defender'... Therefore Carragher is/was really playing for 1 position only, the 'defensive' CB...

From the Echo, echo, echo... (http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_headline=rafa-benitez-to-join-players-in-guard-of-honour-for-jamie-carragher%26method=full%26objectid=20352212%26siteid=50061-name_page.html)

Rafa Benitez to join players in guard of honour for Jamie Carragher


RAFA BENITEZ will tonight pay Jamie Carragher the ultimate tribute by joining his players in a guard of honour for Liverpool's 500 man.

Carragher makes his 500th Liverpool appearance in the FA Cup third round replay against Luton at Anfield and will be welcomed onto the pitch by his manager and his team-mates.

Benitez told the ECHO: "It is my idea to join the players on the pitch before the game because to play 500 games for one club is a fantastic achievement."

Carragher has also been handed the captaincy for tonight's game, a gesture requested by club captain Steven Gerrard.

Benitez is full of praise for Carragher, a player who has grown into one of Europe's finest central defenders under his guidance,

He said: "We always knew that he was a good player because when we played against Liverpool with Valencia we were checking on them and it was clear that he was a good player.

"I saw him playing in a lot of different positions in defence and he did well in all of them.

"But really you know the players best when you have worked with them because you get to know the mentality and the character and I now know how good Carra is.

"To play 500 games in your career is one thing, but to play them for just one team – to whom you give so much passion and so much determination – is even more special.

"It is really difficult to find players like this in the modern game."

Benitez hopes the inspirational example Carragher has set in his 11 years of first team service will inspire youngsters at Liverpool's academy to follow in his footsteps.

And the Reds boss believes the best may still be to come from Carragher.

"In football it is very important for clubs to have people coming through the academy, especially local players, so hopefully the young players at Liverpool will learn from Carra," he said.

"He is very professional and he always takes care of himself and I think that has made a big difference to him.

"Sometimes you have players who have a lot of passion but they are not as good professionals as Carra but he can play for a long time because he is always taking care of himself.

"He is still learning as well, especially tactically.

"He is at that age where he has experience and because of that he analyses everything and because of that he learns more all the time.

"That is the reason why he is still improving and in one or two years time he will not need to be so physical because he has learned the movements and the positions – maybe he will learn the positions before so he doesn't need to go and run, he will be there. "

While one Liverpool centre back prepares for a landmark occasion, another is facing up to a spell on the sidelines after Daniel Agger's metatarsal problem flared up again.

The Dane will now see a specialist in Spain as Liverpool look for a solution to his long standing problem.

Meanwhile, despite speculation that new signing Martin Skrtel could feature tonight, there is no chance of him being involved,

Under FA rules, players who are signed after an initial cup tie cannot feature in any replay.

Daniel, I don't mean to be pedantic but he was the best centre half available in your opinion. Not in the manager's. Doesn't matter if the manager is an idiot or not, its his choice

Who knows who Capello's favoured centre backs will be?

Carragher should make himself available and not spit out the dummy if not picked as first choice

Neither should England spit the dummy and not invite him (e.g. Sutton).

He had a fair case getting trotted all over the place & never getting a game. If you're someone's understudy, they get injured & another player is brought in for you to be their understudy you've got to feel someone's taking the piss surely?

I'm being critical of McClaren's decisions.  Not only did he overlook Carragher, he also continued to play players out of position, to accommodate them in the team.

It is my opinion, but does England's recent successes in the World Cup and Euro qualifiers suggest that McClaren was right?  It was his choice, and the choices he made means that he's no longer the England manager.  Why is that?

Carragher never said he should be first choice, and neither did I.  But when Terry is out, is there a better defensive centre-back in England?  He was quite willing to be second-choice to Terry.  It was when he was shown that he wasn't even 5th choice that he decided that travelling around to sit on the bench wasn't a great idea.  When did he 'spit his dummy out'?

500 games thats good going. Nice easy one for him tonight :)

I personally don't think he's world class.

A very good player and certainly an England squad member.

Rod he got games, 34 caps since 1999

A squad player, as this indicates, and considered so by successive England managers.

Dunno I think he'd a fair point. It's one of my criticisms of England actually - too much emphasis on the 'form' players who make the news & not enough on getting a team of hard workers together, the backbone of the team if you like, then add the panache.

wikipedia

In 1996, before signing a professional contract or making his league début, Carragher had his first appearance for the England under-21 team. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he became a regular for the team, and eventually captain. In 2000, when he became ineligible for the team, he held the national record for most caps at this level, with 27. The record was eclipsed in 2007 by Scott Carson.

On 28 April 1999 he made his début for the senior England team, as a substitute against Hungary. He made his full international début against Holland at White Hart Lane in 2001. Carragher missed the 2002 World Cup through injury, but travelled with England to Euro 2004. He eventually ended up with no playing time, losing out to Ledley King when a vacancy opened up. He was selected for the England squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and was not in the original starting eleven, but came into the team after Gary Neville suffered an injury.

Carragher's versatility has seen him occupy centre-back, right-back, left-back and defensive midfield positions for England. Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson generally used two from John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell in preference to Carragher as centre-back, but has occasionally used Carragher as right-back as deputy for Gary Neville, as he did during the 2006 World Cup. Eriksson rarely uses a defensive midfielder, but is seen to prefer Owen Hargreaves to Carragher in the midfield. Jamie featured in three games in the 2006 World Cup, he started the match against Sweden, as a replacement for the injured Gary Neville at right-back, and appeared as a substitute in the matches against Ecuador and Portugal.

On 1 July 2006 Carragher was one of three players to have a penalty saved by Ricardo Pereira, as England yet again succumbed on penalties to exit the 2006 World Cup in the quarter finals against Portugal. Carragher, who had been brought on as a substitute for Aaron Lennon in the dying moments of the game, presumably with the "shoot-out" in mind, was the most unfortunate of the three players who missed, as he scored with his first attempt but was forced to re-take the kick by the referee, who had not blown his whistle. Carragher then saw his second effort saved.

On July 9, 2007 it was reported that Carragher was thinking of retiring from the England set-up. TalkSport Radio Presenter Adrian Durham accused Carragher of "bottling it" and was asked by one caller if he would say that to Carragher's face. Durham said that he would but was surprised when Carragher actually did phone in. He then confirmed that he was thinking about leaving the national set-up but he had already had two talks with the England head coach Steve McClaren and would leave it until the upcoming match against Germany to decide.[3]

Carragher did subsequently retire from International football. England former head coach Steve McClaren attempted to persuade him to return to the International setup on at least one occasion, but Carragher declined. Carragher was said to have been unhappy at the failure of successive England managers to pick him at centre-back[4], preferring to use him as cover along the back four and even as a holding midfielder. In England's last qualification match for Euro 08 against Croatia, three inexperienced players played in defence, these being Richards, Lescott, and Bridge. The latter players were picked due to injuries suffered by John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. England lost the match 3-2 and therefore failed to qualify, a result which reportedly 'delighted' Carragher.

With the sacking of Steve McClaren, England were in need of a new head coach. The F.A. hired Fabio Capello who stated that he may attempt to bring back "one or two" players who had retired from international football. He gave no indication of which players he would attempt to bring back. On Radio 5 Live Jamie Carragher said that he doubts he would return if asked as he has commitments to his family and club.

though even with wikipedia there seems to be some journalistic assumptions at work!

FYP - I've seen enough 'selective editting' of Wiki to look for confirmation of anything that's an opinion.

BTW Jackie McNamara did the same thing with Scotland at one time, being sick of watching others play in his best position because he was a 'utility' player.

agreed

I didn't edit the above!

LOL, not enough big words for me to believe it was you ;)

Carragher wasn't better than Campbell when he was part of our defence.
He is not better than Rio.
I think Terry is an over-rated gobby chav of a centre half but still a decent player.
During 2005 he probably had a point that he should be in the England team and was given a few chances. I believe he played 45mins against Denmark away and we lost 4-1. All goals conceded after he'd come on. Down to David James of course but it doesn't look good when Terry keeps a clean sheet for 45mins and then you come on and concede 4.
I would never turn down the chance to have any part of the squad if my country called.
He goes down in the same book as Gerrard for me. World Class for club, average for England.

Fully respect what he has done at club level and wish more players would show that loyalty. Well done Carragher.

Good technical analysis...

Ok....
Strong, good in the air. Will put his body on the line. Decent passing skills.  Sometimes thinks he is better than he is and seems to suffer a rush of blood to the head at times when it is best to be cautious. Shouts at the ref too much, chases refs round the pitch to much and for a captain he doesn't control his players and sets them bad examples.
Personally i think King is better.

Interesting post - Tony Adams said on the issue Ferdinand and Terry will never work together as they both play the "sweeper" out of the 2 centre halves at their clubs. Carvalho and Vidic are the "go to the opposition" man at their clubs.

Whilst their styles are different, Terry and Ferdinand have the same roles.

If I had 2 kids and a wife and I was leaving them for over a week at a time, several times a year, to play out of position or worse not at all becuase people who've been out for 3 years and 9 months respectively get a game ahead of me (even though I've been in the shortlist for European defender of the year 2 out of the last 3 years) I think I'd stay home too.

Same would apply if I was one of the top two or three attacking central midfielders in the world and I was being moved to the left wing to accomodate someone not as good as me in my position.

If that's me letting my country down then so be it.

IMO good club player but not international class.

Honestly do you think international football is a higher standard than the Champions League?

lets hope the hub cap thieves pack the stadium tonight for Rafa AND Carragher ... thus ensuring Luton some much needed dosh.

Debateable. I would say at tournament level,international football has the edge.

I'd love a jamie Carragher in my team.  For me he is the best English defender, no nonsense from him gets on with the game gives as good as he gets doesn't pretent to be a footballer, defenders dont play football anyway.  The ones that try are generally pish.

Here's a controversial point but I'd pick Carragher ahead of Rio any day of the week because whilst Ferdinand had the ability to be one of the best (if not the best) defenders in the World he actually is the biggest waste of talent - good on the ball but is regularly caught out of position and if he wasn't strong with a reasonable turn of pace would be a complete liability but does manage to get himself out of trouble. How much better does he look with Vidic though (because Vidic is no nonsense straight out a defender as is Carragher and in that respect the best defender England have). Carragher and Terry would be Englands best defensive pairing except that at the very top level the pair lack just enough pace to get caught out by the best forwards around - hence Rio.

The only thing I can add to that is that Carragher got made to look ordinary against "World Class" strikers - Henry and Van Nist for example, this happened far too often and I think that just made successive England managers too nervous of his ability.  However a fine player, with a great attitude, if only we could all have more like him.  A nice touch with the guard of honour too.

U sure... He only scored 2 against us in his time for Man Yoo...

Henry i dont know, he kept scoring against us, but he was class, and i dont think there are many defenders out there who have stopped him scoring against them..

Jamie Carragher - the most overrated defender in football. Flea, I take it you're a Liverpool supporter, because only a Liverpool supporter would pick Carragher ahead of Ferdinand. Ferdinand, Terry, King, Woodgate are all better than him. There are plenty of foreign defenders in the EPL who are better than him as well: Vidic, Carvalho, Kaboul etc...


































OBVIOUSLY joking about Kaboul!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjhGlt_9a9k



"I know, I will try and out play Henry!" 'AVE IT!!!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouowA4dWnOo

 rotflmfao rotflmfao

I agree with Nemesis

Woodgate in particular

(http://i3.tinypic.com/8al48au.gif)

Carragher is just an intelligent Michael Dawson.

NB: Inteligence of having more than 5 brain cells (Dawson has 4!)

when King and Woodgate have performed consistently well at the highest level for ten years they might stand comparison.

They have. King in the EPL and Woodgate in the EPL and La Liga.

Don't start saying the the Champions League is harder to win/pinnacle, because Liverpool and Porto have proved otherwise.

Woodgate has been

when at Leeds it was near top of Prem and in Europe, then Madrid. His decision to go to Boro was a bit daft, but he's a home boy.

since http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Woodgate 1998

King obv not at the highest European level with his club, but in the Prem and for his country yes


Anyway, i think Carragher is an excellent player, we're talking semantics and opinions between three talented palyers

Give me one, I'd choose Woodgate on the basis of natural talent

I'd go for Titus Bramble.

It's a coin flip between Bramble and Carragher... :dontask:

Sounds like you know your stuff.

No I'm not a Liverpool fan - Don't really support anyone in the Premiership so have no real bias towards any of them, I just go by what I see and would prefer Carragher to most named although agree with Tighty that barring injuries Woodgate is the best we've got on pure ability.

All the names mentioned are far better than the "players" we have playing at centre-half for my lowly (becoming ever lower Championship team) - I'm an eternally optimistic season ticket holder at Wolves so I know lots about poor defenders!! (and don't get me started on forwards).

Liverpool's Jamie Carragher says he "hasn't got a clue" if he will ever win the Premier League title with the club (Independent).


Let me help you out Jamie, the answer is NO !!

its ok though, tell him his Aston Martin hubcaps are for sale this Sunday at the car Boot on Toxteth Road

500 games for your club is an amazing feat and should be applauded. carragher is in the same mould as tony adams and alvin martins of this world and in time john terry will be in the same bracket.
these guys are few and far between, players that are full of passion for there club and show it week in week out and have no intention of playing for another club.

but internationally mr carragher disappoints me. im sorry but regardless of whether you are chosen or not, whether you play right back centreback substitute or teaboy you should never turn your back on your country by makig yourself unavailable imo.

the argument isnt whether hes good enough or better than whoever and i agree a succession of england managers have underused carragher at relevant times over the last  10 years but thats not a reason to say i wont play for england anymore.

if i was england manager i wouldnt even think about choosing him in a squad again, just because theres a change of manager doesnt mean his circumstances have changed so why should the manager think his attitude for playing for his country has?

in reality mr carragher is in the top 5 centre backs available for england and thus should be in the squad but he chooses not to be, hes not 1st choice if everyones fit and never was and never will be.

as for woodgate dont make me laugh, the most over hyped over rated and under achieving centre back we have produced in many years imo

turny, that is a great post and i pretty much agree with every word !!


off for a lie down ;)

Good post apart from the last sentance.

Each to their own though...

Woodgate would have been England's centre back from years and years had he not had an injury riddled career. More qualifed judges at alot of the top clubs could see how he marshalled the Leeds team against the best in Europe for a number of seasons, rather sucessfully.

One thing with Woodgate is he can make it look so easy, never gets upset or ruffled, rarely booked or making rash tackles.

I had the pleasure of watching him play 100's of times and its more than a little unfair to have a pop at him. Under achieved as in playing for arguablly Europes biggest team? playing in numerous european semi finals? having the pick of what teams he could play for?

I would swop him for most of the other current centre backs playing in the prem today....and I bet most of the managers would do to...

Overhyped? sigh........

Behave yourself!

Woodgate hasnt even had a full season at the top level since when?

King is going to be great no doubt but he hasnt done it yet.

Carragher has.

I would rather have King any day of the week over Carragher - and it isn't even close. King is the best Spurs player since Gascoigne.

better than berbatov nem?

how is it possible to compare berbatov, gascoigne and king? 3 very different players

Without a shadow of doubt.

That is how good he is.

I would rather Spurs sold Berbatov than King lets put it that way.

What? Better than Sol Campbell?

                    ;hide;

How's about Finnan over Stephen Carr?

 ;goodvevil;

A lot of Spurs fans are bitter towards Carr. But Carr was a great player surrounded by shit - and he still was Ireland's No1 RB ahead of Kelly and Finnan.

Before his injury *99-01* he was Up there with G. Neville as the EPL's best RB.

agree here nem but never really recovered from his injury.

(http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/match_pix/first/2007_08/664/medium/PROP080115-09-Liverpool_Luton.jpg)

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_3072929,00.html

www.skysport.com/story/0.2.3.2.44445_3434.html

Quote from Boldie;

he did well tonight ... LOLOLOL

GFY

WTF  was Carragher thinking of? School boy error is putting it lightly!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3511872.ece

When Jamie Carragher came off the pitch in Istanbul he was dying to ask reporters: “What’s it been like in town?” He was as keen to know how Liverpool’s Champions League miracle had been for fans as we were to hear about the players. Jackie Milburn would catch the bus to play for New-castle still in his miner’s clothes and Tom Finney fixed Preston people’s plumbing when he wasn’t representing them in a North End shirt, but in the modern game it’s rare a footballer is as in tune with his public as the one known Scousely as “Carra”.

The Kop has a song that dreams of watching a team of Carraghers but the Kop itself, in a sense, is one big squad of them. Affinity comes from the number of people close to the defender who join its throng, inside Anfield and on tour. A gang of relatives, mates and characters from his native Bootle trail him at every game. “There’s me dad, me two brothers and then there’s about 20 lads who go everywhere, home and away, and it’s not just been with Liverpool,” he explains. “My first games abroad were when I was 16, with England youths. We played Italy and Holland and me dad and all the lads went . . . so my first trip away was Amsterdam, and from their point of view, can you get better than that?” On Tuesday, Carragher, barring the unforeseen, will become the first to play 100 European games for Liverpool. He’s proud.

“Liverpool’s such a big club, it’s hard to make history or do something nobody’s done,” he reflects. But he sees the milestone it terms of the group. “It’s the one thing I’ve always said I’ll miss when I stop playing: Europe. My family and friends have enjoyed it. It’s not just me, everyone’s involved. They’re all going to Inter Milan. When the draw came out I was made up. Others were like, ‘Oh no, it’s Inter’, but I was really pleased. I’ve never played at the San Siro, this may be my only chance.”

When Carragher retires he may join the travellers, and that would mean the whole every-man package: economy flight, nonVIP part of the stadium, shared rooms in barely-starred hotels. “If I’m not still involved in football, I’ll watch the games. I’d have to, just for the craic with the lads and I wouldn’t get away with going first class.” He almost seems to want to be there already. “Well, yeah, I mean, the fans want to do what we do. It’s like when we went to the World Cup and it didn’t go that well, I was thinking to myself I’d have rather been with them.”

The San Siro assignment is awkward, despite Liverpool’s 2-0 victory in the first leg. Inter celebrated their own centenary last night with a 2-0 win over Reggina and will be determined to make things tough for Liverpool. “We’ll have to look for an away goal to kill Inter off,” Carragher says. “They defended brilliantly with 10 men until we scored with five minutes left, so if they thought they were poor at Anfield, God knows what they’ll be like there.” It’s set for the type of evening on which Carragher excels, one where he is asked to hold together a rearguard under ceaseless shelling.

There may be nobody in Europe better at defending deep and repelling final balls with deflections and blocks. When Liverpool beat Chelsea in the 2005 semi-final second leg at Anfield, Eidur Gudjohnsen felt as if there was a team of Carraghers against him. “Carragher seemed to clone himself,” Gudjohnsen said after the defender stopped his last-minute shot. Carragher picks it as the finest of his 99 European performances.

“There was a big rivalry with Chelsea, still is, and if there’s one team we didn’t want to get beaten by, it’s them. They were so much better than us at the time, 37 points above us in the league. I remember the final minutes and Gudjohnsen’s shot. I didn’t know where I was in relation to the goal and I was terrified of putting it in my own net. I just put out my leg and it skimmed off the top. Can you imagine if they’d scored and their celebrations?”

A Uefa Cup stalemate with Celtic in September 1997, playing alongside Paul Ince in midfield, was Carragher’s first European match, Istanbul the toughest. “The first half from AC Milan was as good as anyone has played against us, the movement of [Andriy] Shevchenko, [Hernan] Crespo and Kaka was fantastic. Istanbul was special because people will still talk about that in 50 years, it’s one of maybe five games in history, up there with Real Madrid v Eintra-cht Frankfurt, everybody remembers. I’m desperate to win the league, but I wouldn’t swap Istanbul. It’s not something we can keep dwelling on, though. We can’t keep saying, ‘Yeah, but we won the European Cup’. We can’t keep harking back as if it’s our get out of jail card.”

Why the disparity between Liverpool’s European and domestic potency? “The home crowd’s a big thing. Anfield makes other teams apprehensive and we play on that. Tactically, the manager’s very good, especially with one-off games, and he’s built us on being good defensively, which is hugely important in Europe. The Premier League’s about power and pace and we don’t have huge pace in the team. What we do have is a lot of good thinkers.

“The manager gets stick because we haven’t done that well in the league, but the European Cup is bigger, isn’t it?”

Carragher seems a natural for management himself but retiring to be a fan is a serious possibility. “I love the game but I change my mind all the time. I’ve been going down to the academy to start my coaching badges but sometimes I think how bad I feel after defeat as a player and think it must be 10 times worse as a manager. When I gave away a penalty at West Ham and we lost instead of drawing, I couldn’t sleep until the next game, and you think, ‘Do I really want this?’ It’s stupid, because I love playing football so much, but sometimes I can’t wait until I’m finished and I won’t have those ups and downs any more.”

100th European game for Carra.  Well played lad.

;tightend;

Ditto that..

 ;tightend; ;applause;

what Welshie said.

Wow. You don't appreciate how tall Carra is till you see him standing next to Torres like that.

rotflmfao

To go back to the point of the original post carra must be up there with the most true of true reds a remember after the cl final in instanbul interviewer was asking him how u gunna celebrate winning and he said"guna get pissed for a week" quality even gerrard look at him he was shocked.You can see it everytime he plays who much commitment he gives to the club.

Not sure who posted it but someone claimed he couldn't defend against world class players but this is clearly not the case as when they won the cl they kept clean sheets in italy twice and he was immense.

As for the debate between who's the best i'm still not 100% sure of terry at int level carra is as good as terry i believe.Ferdinand had proven his worth to the team and would prob be my 1st choice.Ledley King shouldn't even be in the debate he's not at the same level for me.As for woodgate i personally believe he would've been the best defender eng have had since bobby moore if he was always fit he's top quality he even made bramble look half decent for us.Definitly neither ferdinand or terry shouldve been gaurenteed there place as they have been with carra waiting in the wings as he was to get his game.