Three-part special paying tribute to a Reds legend

2 CARRAGHER: FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

OOnnee ooff oouurr oowwnn......

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PPAARRTT OONNEE TTOODDAAYY PPAARRTT TTWWOO TTOOMMOORRRROOWW PPAARRTT TTHHRREEEE TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY

His earlyyears ... the

views of DalglishRodgers, Hodgson

and Benitez ... andhis years of hardwork for the 23Foundation

Gerrard onhis best pal ...

Reds youthcoach Hughie

McAuley ... the dayCarra made hisdebut ... and GerardHoullier

Two teamsof Carraghers

... the night ofhis life in Istanbul

... a souvenir poster... the trophies hehelped win ... andeven his goals!

PPAARRTT OONNEE

WWHHAATT’’SS IINNSSIIDDEE??

PPAARRTT TTWWOO

PPAARRTT TTHHRR

EEEE

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

3CARRAGHER: FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

aanndd OONNEE ooff aa kkiinndd

I T is the abiding memory ofa career devoted toLiverpool Football Club.The images sum up

perfectly both JamieCarragher the man and thefootballer and explains why heis so loved and revered.

Deep into extra time in Istanbul,his body was wracked with pain,cramp severely hampering hismovement.

Carragher had run himself into theground but he simply refused tothrow in the towel. Somehow hekept going, putting his body on theline time and time again with aheroic show of courage to repel theadvances of AC Milan.

When Jerzy Dudek parried awayAndriy Shevchenko’s penalty in theshootout, it was the Bootle-borndefender who led the manic victorycharge towards the Reds keeper.

The Champions League triumph of2005 was Carragher’s finest hour.But it wasn’t a one-off.

It merely showcased on the biggestof stages the qualities which made

him such a rare breed.He is the ultimate one-club man

who deserves to be rankedalongside the greatest names everto pull on a red shirt.For Carragher, the team has

always come first. A selfless andloyal individual who has always madethe most of his talent by setting thehighest of standards.

After a first-team career spanning16 years and 131 days, 737appearances and 11 major honours,there was an emotional goodbye atAnfield on Sunday.

The Kop’s plea for ‘one more year’was in vain. Carragher alwayswanted to bow out with his headheld high and that mission wasaccomplished in style.

Typically, on his big day he didn’tput a foot wrong. Spotting danger,dealing with it and barking orders atteam-mates right to the gloriousend, he demonstrated the passionand professionalism which hasalways set him apart from his peers.

Carragher came within a whiskerof securing the fairytale finale. Rarely

will he have ever hit a ball as sweetlyas the 30-yard piledriver he arrowedpast Robert Green in front of theKop just past the hour mark.

Agonisingly, it bounced back offthe post as he was denied whatwould have been the sixth goal of hisReds career.

But Carragher was always betterat preventing goals than scoringthem. Victory and a clean sheet –his 197th in 508 Premier Leaguegames – was a fitting way to sign off.

When the No 23 went up on theboard five minutes from time, acapacity crowd produced aspine-tingling ovation.

Liverpool have lost half of theirScouse heartbeat and the voidcreated by his retirement both onthe pitch and in the dressing room isvast. Only the legendary IanCallaghan stands above him in theclub’s all-time appearance list.

It’s been some journey forCarragher, who first walked throughthe gates of Melwood at the age ofnine.

Supporters love him because he’sone of them. He’s the homegrownhero who snubbed Hello! to sell hiswedding photographs to the Kopmagazine for £1.

A player so committed that hetried to play on after breaking his legat Blackburn Rovers a decade ago.

The boy from Brunswick YouthClub on Marsh Lane has never losttouch with his roots.

That is epitomised by the work ofthe 23 Foundation, the charity heset up to help youngsters acrossMerseyside.

It benefited from a £1million cashinjection courtesy of his Anfieldtestimonial against Everton in 2010.

Carragher had to fight for thatesteemed place in the fans’affections. In the early yearsfollowing his debut under Roy Evansin 1997 he was a target of criticism.

Being played out of position didn’thelp his cause. Yet he nevercomplained, he merely knuckleddown and vowed to prove thedoubters wrong. He achieved thatemphatically.

Under Gerard Houllier, he showedhis versatility, shining at left-back inthe remarkable treble-winningcampaign of 2001.

It was Rafa Benitez who finallyutilised his talents in a centraldefensive role. He flourished and his

partnership with Sami Hyypia wasthe best in Europe.

His never-say-die attitude –coupled with his reading of the gameand his organisational skills – wasinstrumental en route to Istanbul.His performances away to Juventusand home to Chelsea are the stuff oflegend.

Last season under Kenny Dalglish,he lost his place due to injury andon his return to fitness he was nolonger a guaranteed starter withMartin Skrtel and Daniel Agger thefavoured pairing.

Sitting among the substitutes was abitter pill to swallow having been acornerstone of the Liverpool sidefor so long but he never rocked theboat. There was no knock on themanager’s door. The team alwayscame first.

When he came off the bench toplay his part in the League Cup finaltriumph over Cardiff City, whichended a painful six-year trophydrought, his joy was clear for all tosee.

He had achieved another lifelongdream of being a Wembley winnerand his son James joined him on thatglorious walk up the 107 steps tothe Royal Box.

Over the past year Carragher hasbeen a pillar of support to BrendanRodgers, his sixth Liverpoolmanager.

The decision to retire was madelast summer. Playing for anyone elsenever appealed and nor did theprospect of being a Liverpool squadplayer.

Carragher was desperate to goout at the top but when he wasstuck on the bench in the first half ofthe season he feared the realitywould be very different.

However, the recall he craved forPremier League duty finally arrivedin January and he grabbed his chancewith both hands.

There was no sentiment attachedto his continued selection.Carragher was outstanding asLiverpool’s backline got theleadership it had been lacking.

The Reds suffered just one defeatin his last 15 games as each perform-ance he delivered merely reinforcedwhat the club would be losing.

There are some huge boots to fill.Jamie Carragher is one of a kind andKopites are blessed to call him oneof their own.

BYJAMES

PEARCE

Mostgames forLiverpool

1. IanCallaghan:

8572. Jamie

Carragher:737

3. RayClemence,

EmlynHughes:

665

5. Ian Rush660

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

Carragher gives his children,James and Mia, a run-out onthe Anfield pitch ahead of hislast game (top); and receives atrophy from Reds legend IanCallaghan

4 CARRAGHER: THE EARLY YEARS

WWhheerree iitt aallll BBEEGGAANNTHE Salisbury

pub, Bootle.Not quiteThe Green

Man, as depicted inBoys from theBlackstuff, but aninteresting placenonetheless.

In one corner, a lively karaokesession is in full swing, with onelocal rapping aggressively over aBangles track. Overdressed girlsdown fluorescent shots at the bar,whilst a game of ‘killer’ poolthreatens to descend into farce asplayers hunt for “the cue with theproper tip”. It is a lively Sundayevening on Marsh Lane.

And there, amidst themadness, sits a PremierLeague legend, a Liverpoollegend, a Bootle legend.

Jamie Carragher is still in his clubsuit, having been part of theLiverpool squad which facedManchester City earlier in the day,but there is no danger of himlooking out of place. His dad, Phil,is a former owner of ‘The Solly’.Carra’s presence there, even now,is common enough to attractbarely a sideways glance from theregulars.

A drive along Marsh Lane is like awalk down memory lane where

Carragher is concerned. Everybuilding seems to have its part toplay in the story.

Yards from The Salisbury is theBrunswick Youth Club, where as ayoungster Carra spent “every hour

possible” playing football on theindoor pitches, whilst a fewhundred metres further is StJames’ Primary School (now AllSaints Primary), at the back ofwhich are the playing fields on

which Carragher’s footballingpersona was shaped.

Phil Carragher managed twolocal football teams; the Brunswickand Merton Villa. Jamieremembers standing on thetouchline “watching himimpersonate a top-class manager”from an early age. The madness,the banter and the camaraderie ofthose Sunday mornings have stuckwith him since.

By the time he was six,Carragher was part of the MertonVilla Under-10s side, making animpression on his seniors as alithe, skilful winger. “I think theywanted to keep me out of themiddle, where it was a bit morephysical,” he says.

At nine, his exploits attractedthe attention of Bootle Boys. Hefinished top scorer in his firstseason, attracting the attention ofplenty on the local scene. A goal atAnfield in a cup final defeat toLiverpool Boys, aged 10, wasanother highlight.

“I cut in on my right footand hit one right into the topcorner,” he remembers. “Itwas at the Kop End as well.”

By 12, and by this time attendingSavio High School, a couple ofmiles from home, his talents wereshining through at Liverpool’s

centre of excellence.Harry Hodges, a veteran Anfield

scout, had spotted him, andintroduced him to Hughie McAuleyand Dave Shannon, whoseinfluence on his career, as well asthe likes of Robbie Fowler, MichaelOwen and Steven Gerrard, wouldbe huge.

Carragher ensured he wouldremain in the coaches’ minds byturning up for training in anEverton kit. The nickname‘Sharpy’, a reference to Goodisonlegend Graeme Sharp, stuck.

Carragher recalls witnessing aclash between his dad and KennyDalglish, then the Liverpoolmanager, at a game betweenCrosby and Bootle boys. Dalglish,whose son Paul was playing forCrosby, had been incensed at theaward of a soft late penalty forBootle.

Phil Carragher wasted little timereminding ‘The King’ that he hadbenefited from plenty of dubiousawards himself at Anfield over theyears. The two still joke about theincident to this day.

Thankfully, it never affectedCarragher’s Liverpool career. Theforward did enough to impress atthe centre of excellence, andbegan his ascent towards the firstteam. It was quite the journey.

BYNEIL

JONES

Jamie Carragherhas a kickaboutin the BrunswickYouth Club carpark in 2006

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

CARRA Part2

TThhee MMEENNTTOORRI T WAS fitting that Hughie

McAuley took his seat atAnfield on Sunday to watchJamie Carragher’s final game.

The 60-year-old has been byCarragher’s side throughout some ofthe defining moments in his Liverpoolcareer and was there to see him on hisfarewell.

McAuley was part of the dedicatedcoaching team that nurtured the youngBootle boy’s talent, transforming himfrom a wannabe Graeme Sharp into anintelligent defender, before sending himoff into the world of senior football.

Hughie was in the dugout the dayCarragher marked his full PremierLeague debut with a goal againstAston Villa and said he was nevergoing to miss his final game.

But McAuley andCarragher’s relationshipgoes beyond that of

player and coach and the pair haveremained friends.

McAuley has watched with pride ashis student added European anddomestic trophies to the 1996 FAYouth Cup, in which Carragher playedalongside Michael Owen and DavidThompson in the side that defeatedWest Ham United.

“He came to Liverpool at eight ornine,” recalls McAuley.

“He was playing for BootleSchoolboys when I first watched himand he was a striker in those days. Hewanted to play up front for Evertonand Graeme Sharp was his idol.

“It was the Centre of Excellenceat Liverpool back then and he

joined a year that had a goodcrop of players in it.

“Even at that age, Jamieread the game very well. Hewas playing in midfield by

the time of our FA Youth Cup-winningseason. Eddie Turkington missed thefirst leg of the final and I was talkingwith Ronnie Moran. It was suggestedwe played Jamie at centre-half becausehe read the game so well. The rest ishistory.

“Jamie has always had characterand he showed the same emotionin winning the Youth Cup as hedid that night in Istanbul. Hewears his heart on his sleeve.”

Only Carragher, Owen andThompson from that side would go onto have careers at the highest level.

McAuley says it is difficult to knowfor definite which players are going tocut it but he said he was as certainabout a young Carragher as he couldpossibly be.

“You never know which lads aregoing to make it until they play in thefirst-team,” he said. “But we knew

Jamie had all the ingredients and heshowed he could handle theimportant games.

“Even then, nothing fazed him.“All we needed to do was give

him the confidence and reassurehim.

“Jamie was someone who motivatedhimself and demanded the higheststandards of himself every time hetrained and played for the football club.

“And he expects the same ofeveryone else. He is someone whoorganises, is passionate andenthusiastic. But he is also a fantasticfootballer with a lot of natural ability.”

Tributes to Carragher have floodedin since he announced he would retireat the end of the season but amongstall of them, McAuley’s words carryextra weight.

“I have nothing but praise for thelad,” he said.BY

PHIL

KIRKBRIDE

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

6 CARRAGHER: STEVEN GERRARD EXCLUSIVE

BBrrootthheerrssI T WAS a day Steven

Gerrard knew was comingbut he did his best to delayit.

When Jamie Carragher informedhim about his retirement plans, theLiverpool skipper pleaded with himto stay on for another year.

However, this was one battle thatnot even Gerrard could win. Therewill be a spare seat on the teamcoach next to the talismanicmidfielder next season.

Carragher hanging up his bootsmarks the end of an era. For thepast 15 years the home-grown pairhave stood shoulder to shoulderweek after week and led the fight.

They have been the modern dayLiverpool’s heart and soul. FromCardiff to Dortmund to Istanbul toWembley, the boys from Bootle andHuyton have provided theinspiration for so many cherishedmemories.

Yet now only Gerrard remains. AtAnfield last Sunday he didn’t just ruethe departure of a Reds legend butalso one of his closest friends.

“I tried just as hard as everyoneelse to try to keep him going for abit longer,” Gerrard said.

“I was trying for him to push onfor another year but we have torespect his decision.

“Carra’s had a fantastic career andhe 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 bea team-mate of his.

“It’s sad for me. I’m going to misshim more than anyone. It’s going tobe different for me, not having himalongside me as a vice-captain.

“I sit next to him on the teambus and speak to him out oftraining. He’s the first person Ilook for when I come to work.Coming in next year and he’s nothere will be a lot different for me.

“Everyone knows what we’re goingto miss on the playing side. Since Imade my debut Jamie has beenalongside me in the dressing room

and been a close mate of mine.“He has been through the journey

with me as well. I’ve bounced a lotof things off him, highs and lows,and we’ve come through it alltogether.”

A shoulder injury preventedGerrard from lining up alongside

Carragher in his emotional farewellappearance against Queens ParkRangers. But it was fitting that theirfinal game together was theMerseyside derby at Anfield on May5.

It was November 29 1998 when

the duo first lined up together forLiverpool.

Gerrard made his debut when hecame off the bench to replaceVegard Heggem in a 2-0 win overBlackburn Rovers.

Two years and four monthsyounger than the defender, Gerrardhad seen Carragher break throughinto the first team two seasonsearlier and was eager to follow in hisfootsteps.

His first meeting with Carragher asa young apprentice at Melwoodmade a lasting impression.

“I got a bit of verbal from him,”Gerrard said. “I was cleaning thedressing room at Melwood, moppingthe floors, and I got a bit of stickabout my haircut.

“It was his little gang, JamieCassidy, Davie Thompson andCarra. They were the trio. It wasjust typical Carra.

“I could go on forever about theplayer.

“But it’s the man, the person, I amgoing to miss around the place.”

The pair enjoyed success togetherfor the first time in the historic

treble-winning season of 2001 whenLeague Cup glory was followed bywinning both the FA Cup and UEFACup. The League Cup was clinchedagain two years later.

Under Gerard Houllier, Carraghershowed his versatility, playing mostof his games at full-back.

It was only when Rafa Beniteztook over in the summer of 2004that he firmly established himself inhis favoured central position.

“For too long when he first brokeinto the team he was underrated,”Gerrard said.

Steven Gerrard and JamieCarragher celebrate winningthe 2006 FA Cup... and unusedsub Carragher (right) was firstto console Gerrard after theReds’ defeat in last year’s final

Jamie Carragher and StevenGerrard have been the beatingheart of Liverpool for morethan a decade

BYJAMES

PEARCE

7CARRAGHER: STEVEN GERRARD EXCLUSIVE

iinn AARRMMSS“People didn’t really appreciate the

job he was doing. Maybe that wasbecause he was moved around a lotposition wise.

“But right from his debut up untilnow, no-one can fault Carra’sattitude, his effort and his

commitment to this football club.“He’s not one of those players

who only turns it on in big games –you get 100% dedication from Carraevery time he pulls on the Liverpoolshirt.

“I certainly wouldn’t have themedal collection I’ve got without thepart Jamie’s played.

“We’ve been through a lot of highsand lows together on the pitch.We’ve helped bring each other backdown to earth and also picked eachother up.”

Carragher’s partnership with SamiHyypia was the best in Europe. Theyexcelled en route to the Champions

League final in 2005.On that unforgettable May night in

Istanbul, Carragher and Gerrardenjoyed their finest hour.

After Gerrard had instigated themost dramatic of fightbacks, it wasCarragher’s heroics at the backwhich kept AC Milan at bay.

“When I think about howimportant Jamie’s been to us I alwaysthink back to Istanbul,” Gerrard said.

“He was magnificent. He was inagony with cramp but he was stillthrowing himself into tackles andblocking everything that came hisway, repelling wave after wave ofattacks from Milan after we hadcome back to 3-3. That’s Carra – fullof guts.”

Twelve months later they lifted theFA Cup for a second time afterGerrard’s masterclass in Cardiff andthen a six-year trophy drought wasended with the League Cup triumphat Wembley last year.

In the games’ room in Gerrard’shouse a shirt with Carragher on theback hangs on the wall alongsidenames such as Zidane, Ronaldinho,Xavi, Iniesta, Henry and Alonso.

The captain for both club andcountry will always cherish the timesthey shared.

“It is difficult to play for Liverpool’sfirst team week in, week out for thebest part of 16 years as Carra hasdone. More so because he is a locallad too. He is rightly considered tobe a legend,” Gerrard said.

“In the Champions League yearswhen we were regularly in thequarter-finals and semi-finals he wasone of the best defenders in Europewithout a doubt.

“He was always consistent, alwaysled by example.

“People mention him alongside thelikes of Alan Hansen and MarkLawrenson, the best defenders thatthis club has ever had.

“For me, if he’s not alongside themhe’s a little bit above them. That’sthe biggest compliment I can payhim.”

Carragher and Gerrardshare a joke at

Melwood

Carragher congratulatesGerrard on his hat-trick in theMerseyside derby in 2012... and(left) the pair celebrate thegreatest night in the Reds’recent history in Istanbul

8 CARRAGHER: HIS LIVERPOOL DEBUT

DDeebbuuttDDEELLIIGGHHTTAN UP-AND-

COMING youngcentral defenderfeatured on the front

page of the ECHO onWednesday, January 8, 1997.

But it wasn’t Jamie Carragher.“The Man Out To Tame

Ravanelli” ran the blurb ahead ofLiverpool’s Coca-Cola Cup tie atMiddlesbrough... alongside aphotograph of Dominic Matteo.

Fabrizio Ravanelli’s Boro were farfrom tamed.

In fact so shambolic wasLiverpool’s defensive display thatan 18-year-old Jamie Carragherwas introduced for his seniordebut 16 minutes from time for atiring Rob Jones.

“Liverpool’s defence was ashambles; the worst it has been allseason. And it deserved to bepunished for its nonchalance,”opined the ECHO’s Liverpool FCreporter, Ric George.

Carragher’s introduction barelyregistered such was the shock atthe defensive display which sawMiddlesbrough reach thesemi-finals with a 2-1 win.

It was a very different storywhen Carragher made his fulldebut against Aston Villa 10 dayslater.

This time Carragher was makingfront, back and centre-spreadheadlines.

“HAVE you heard the one aboutthe lad with Liverpool coursing

through his veins who ignored thecall of The Kop to cross the greatdivide and join Everton?” wrotePhil McNulty.

“No – neither have I.“Ian Rush, Steve McManaman,

Robbie Fowler. All boy blues whonow turn red at the very mentionof Everton’s name.

“And so it came to pass onSaturday that another gifted youngman rolled off the Anfieldproduction line via a childhoodspent on the Goodison Parkterraces.

“Jamie Carragher did not have apassing interest in Everton. He wasa fanatic. He was a freak – butknew which side his bread wasbuttered on when it cameto his football future.

“Carragher’semergence is thesharp part of a doubleedged sword. He is areflection on theshambles that wasEverton’s youth “policy” untilrecent years, and an example ofthe lure of Liverpool for top youngtalent.

“From the moment heintroduced himself to AndyTownsend, no stranger to the strayboot himself, with a first minutebone shaker, teenager Carragherlooked the part. Looked like aLiverpool player.

“First time passes. Long passesand short passes. Composure on

the ball. The exuberance of youthallied to a mature football brain.

“And to round it all off thenow not unusual sight of agoal for Liverpool at The KopEnd sending a one-timeEverton-daft lad into ecstasy.

“Carragher will go back intocotton wool with the cautionarywords of Ronnie Moran ringing inhis ears no doubt, but Anfield hasalready seen enough to mark himdown as one for the future.”

In his match report Ric Georgeadded: “Then, of course, there wasJamie Carragher; an Evertonian

perhaps, but a true Liverpoolplayer in style. Talk about

being unfazed on your fulldebut! Carragherslotted into midfield asif he was a regular,following theaggression of a20-seconds booking

with the vision andintelligence of a veteran.

“He still has a place in his heartfor the Blues, but you would neverknow it from the jubilant mannerwith which he celebrated his50th-minute goal.

“The 18-year-old,understandably, went wild withdelight after his downward headerfrom Stig Inge Bjornebye’s cornerhad opened the scoring.”

While Anfield legend andlong-time ECHO columnist TommySmith commented: “Both central

midfielders played their part, notleast Carragher whose positionalplay was outstanding for such ayoung man.

“He was never tempted to roamor go for more glory after hescored. Instead he sat tight, movedforward when necessary, but in themain allowed Jamie Redknapp todo most of the attacking.

“It has set a real dilemma for RoyEvans looking ahead to theChelsea cup tie.

“The manager is in a no-winsituation, but on the basis that youdon’t change a winning side Iwould stick with it – regardless ofwhether John Barnes is available.”

Carragher himself didn’t see itthat way.

In a back page interview he said:“I expect to be out of the teamnext weekend. John Barnes is aworld class player who will comeback. I’m just a kid who has playeda couple of games. It will be hardto take, but I was always going tobe out when then others cameback.”

He was right.But when boss Roy Evans added:

“For young Jamie Carragher it wasa dream come true. Now he hasto realise this has to happen forthe next 10 years,” Carragher tookhim at his word. And more.

ixteen years later he was stillmaking headlines, receiving plauditsand getting praise from TommySmith.

BYDAVID

PRENTIC

E

AN ANFIELD legend wasthe front page story theday Jamie Carraghermade his Liverpool debut.

The resignation of KevinKeegan (right) as Newcastlemanager – after five years incharge on Tyneside – wasTHE sports story of the day.

Immediate speculation hadKenny Dalglish as favourite to

succeed him.The next day Norwegian

defender Bjorn Tore Kvarmesigned for the Reds fromRosenborg, sparkingcompetition for centraldefensive places at Anfield.

While Roy Evans issued a‘hands off ’ warning to Romawho made “an audacious bid”to sign Jamie Redknapp.

WHILE Carragher’sdebut was screened liveon the still fledgling SkyTV sports channel, onprime time BBC1Question of Sport washosted by David Colemanwith team captains JohnParrott and Ally McCoist.

On the other side(Granada) Jack Duckworth

(right) “bowed to pressurefrom Vera and finally replacedhis taped up spectacles with anew pair,” while later in theevening highlights of theCoca-Cola Cup clash werescreened.

Reds fans probably tunedinto Channel 4 instead, whereFriends and then Cheers atleast supplied a few laughs.

KKeeeeggaann,, KKeennnnyy aanndd ...... KKvvaarrmmee?? NNaattiioonn ffooccuusseess oonn JJaacckk’’ss ggllaasssseess

HIS FIRSTAPPEARANCE:

Middlesbrough 2-1Liverpool – Coca-Cola

Cup fifth round –Wednesday, January 8,

1997Liverpool: David James, RobJones (Jamie Carragher 75),Mark Wright, Phil Babb, Stig

Inge Bjørnebye (Mark Kennedy62), Dominic Matteo, JasonMcAteer, Steve McManaman,

Michael Thomas, Robbie Fowler,Patrik Berger. Not used: Tony

Warner.Goal: McManaman 65

HIS FULL DEBUT: Liverpool 3-0Aston Villa – Premier League –Saturday, January 18, 1997Liverpool: David James, Bjørn ToreKvarme, Mark Wright, Stig IngeBjørnebye, Dominic Matteo, JasonMcAteer, Steve McManaman, JamieRedknapp, Jamie Carragher, StanCollymore (Mark Kennedy 75), RobbieFowler. Not used: Tony

Warner, Steve Harkness,David Thompson, Lee

Jones.Goals: Carragher 50,

Collymore 58,Robbie Fowler 63

Jamie Carraghercelebrates scoringon his full debut

CARRA Part3

MMyy ggrreeaatteesstt XXII

Carragher’sLiverpool XI

(from his timeat the club)

GK: Pepe Reina

DF: Steve Finnan, Sami

Hyypia, Daniel Agger, JohnArne Riise

MF: Xabi Alonso, Steven

Gerrard, Didi Hamann

FW: Robbie Fowler, Michael

Owen, Luis Suarez

Subs: Javier Mascherano,

Markus Babbel, FernandoTorres

... and hisopposition

XIGK: Gianluigi Buffon(Juventus)

DF: Cafu (Milan), MarcelDesailly (Chelsea), FabioCannavaro (Juventus),Paulo Maldini (Milan)MF: Ronaldo (ManchesterUnited), Xavi (Barcelona),Roy Keane (ManchesterUnited), Andres Iniesta(Barcelona)

FW: Thierry Henry(Arsenal), Lionel Messi(Barcelona)Subs: Patrick Vieira(Arsenal), AlessandroNesta (Milan), DidierDrogba (Chelsea)

10 CARRAGHER: THE NIGHT OF HIS LIFE

I T’S become known as theMiracle of Istanbul – andJamie Carragher’scontributions on that never

to be forgotten evening weretruly miraculous.

Like a latter day Lazarus,Carragher lifted his cramp-ravagedbody time and again to repel ACMilan’s extra-time advances.

And his efforts have gone downinto Anfield legend.

Some cup finals are identified byone iconic image.

There’s Jim Montgomery’s save,Ricky Villa’s dribble, ZinedineZidane’s acrobatic volley.

But in the Ataturk Stadium theenduring image is of a Liverpooldefender launching his aching limbstime and again to repel AC Milan’sadvances and secure the greatestEuropean Cup final comeback of alltime.

Clive Tyldesley’s commentary wastelling.

“Serginho’s kept it in ... Ooh it’s adangerous ball and Carragher’s justmanaged to get a toe on it.

“It’s a critical toe but he’sstretched and hurt himself.”

Such was Carragher’s discomfortthat a stretcher was called – andswiftly dismissed.

Then minutes later Carragher wascalled upon to put his body on theline again.

Tyldesley took up thecommentary: “Serginho meanwhile,and that’s another dangerous balland Jamie Carragher had to doexactly the same thing again.”

He did it instinctively – and for aman who suffered the pain of abroken leg and broken ribsthroughout his career he laterrevealed that the sacrifice wasexcruciating.

“The broken leg was very painfulat the time, but it eases off,” heexplained. “The cramp is really badthough. You just don’t know whatyou can do to get rid of it.

“Every movement you make justseems to aggravate it. It’s hard toexplain to people who’ve never hadcramp exactly what it’s like.

“I got it in the Carling Cup final aswell, and its such a relief when itgoes.

“In Istanbul I got it in my groin andI was thinking ‘I’m getting married ina couple of weeks and I’ve gotcramp in my groin!’ I was a bitworried about it but it eased offeventually.”

Eventually, but not completely.And the cramp returned at the

most inopportune momentimaginable.

Carragherexplained: “On theactual moment Stevielifted the trophy andeveryone moves tothe middle I gotcramp again!

“I was holding ontothe barrier at theside. You can see it onthe telly, it must havebeen that sprint toJerzy Dudek that didit!”

Carragher, ofcourse, famously gaveJerzy Dudek his “Do aBrucie!” instructionson the night.

“I was reallyworried that Jerzy’stoo nice,” Carra later explained.

“He’s a really nice fella, and I justthought he’d be stood in the goalbeing dead polite and nice.

“I told him to do anything to putthem off.

“He hadn’t been booked, sokick the ball away and get booked,just do anything to gain anadvantage.

“He is such a really nice fella that Iwas worried that he’d just be toonice in the goal. I just wanted him totry and do as much as he could toput them off, and he did.”

Dudek, now the proud possessor

of a Champions League winner’smedal, still remembers the momentvividly.

“Jamie Carragher jumped on myback, pushing me and telling me 'putthem under pressure, do somethingon the line like Grobbelaar. Youremember Grobbelaar put them outof concentration.'

“I said: Jamie, let me study thepenalties first, we've only got twominutes – please, let me concentratenow.

“It was funny but I was reallyfocused on my target. When I went

to take my position in the goal I wasthinking I would try a little bit todestroy them.

"If Jamie hadn't got on my backthat day, pushing me and giving meadvice for what I should do for thepenalties – I don't know, maybe Iwould have done a little bit, Iwanted to move on the line withsideways movements. But notwobbly legs.

“It's growing up; when you seesomething works, you do it moreand more.

“No-one else would do it to me

but he wants everything to be right.We had a laugh after the game whenwe 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 theLiverpool website last week.

Istanbul was eight years ago butpeople still talk about it often.

They always will.Carragher added: “I don’t think it

will be ever be beaten by this club. Iwatch a lot of football in a lot ofdifferent countries and I’ve neverseen a game like that.

“I feel very fortunate that I playedmy part in it. It’s one of the greatestnights in the club’s history and therehas never been a better EuropeanCup final.

“I’ve not watched the full game fora few years but you don’t need to.

“That much happened with all thegoals, Jerzy Dudek’s save, my cramp,the clearances, the penalties and thecelebrations, just watching the bigincidents takes about 20 minutes. Inever tire of watching that.

“Any player will tell you thatcramp is the worst thing you can

TThhee MMIIRRAACCLLEEBY

DAVID

PRENTIC

E

11CARRAGHER: THE NIGHT OF HIS LIFE

mmaakkeerrget. But I had to carry on and I gotthrough it. Then it came back just aswe were lifting the cup so that’s whyI missed out on getting in some ofthe photos.

“Football is funny. After we lost toBurnley in the FA Cup, if you’d saidthat a few months later we wouldplay in the greatest European Cupfinal of all time everyone would havelaughed. It just goes to show you arenever as far away as you think.”

At half-time Liverpool lookedmiles away.

Carragher added: “I was just

hoping it wouldn’t be five or six. Ididn’t see any way back and I justdidn’t want any embarrassment forthe club.

“Everyone always asks me whathappened in the dressing room athalf-time.

“First the manager told Traore toget into the shower. That was thepolite code for telling a player he'sbeing subbed.

“Djibril Cisse was told he'd becoming on to play on the right sideand was already getting kitted out.

“As Djimi removed his shirt, an

argument was brewing betweenSteve Finnan and our physio DaveGalley. Finnan had damaged a groinand Dave told Rafa he thought heshould be subbed.

“Finn was distraught and pleadedto stay on. Rafa wouldn't budge.Traore was told to put his kit backon.

“Then, as if struck by a moment ofclarity, Benitez made an abruptdecision. ‘Hamann will replaceFinnan and we'll play 3-5-2,’ heexplained, displaying an assuredconviction in his voice which,

temporarily at least, gave meconfidence. ‘Pirlo is running thegame from midfield, so I want Luisand Stevie to play around him andoutnumber them in the middle so hecan't pass the ball.’

“With both Cisse and Hamannnow preparing to come on, therewas only one problem. ‘Rafa, I thinkwe've 12 players out there now.’Djibril Cisse would have to wait awhile longer for his introduction.”

The rest, of course, is history ...with Jamie Carragher helping towrite it.

“I thought we had thrown everythingaway ... it was a signal that we were

going to the final and, for me, it was thesign that we were going to do it.” –

Carra on Eidur Gudjohnsen’s last-gaspmiss for Chelsea in the semi-final

Clockwise frommain picture: JamieCarragher walksout ahead of the2005 ChampionsLeague final;dejection in theLiverpool defenceas Milan race into a3-0 lead; JerzyDudek makes thewinning save (andCarragher is firstto congratulatehim); the lad fromBootle gets hishands on theChampions Leaguetrophy; and tacklesDidier Drogbaduring the Anfieldleg of the semi-final

12 CARRAGHER: HIS CAREER IN PICTURES

13CARRAGHER: HIS CAREER IN PICTURES

14 CARRAGHER: THE TROPHIES

I F ever there was a man forthe big occasion then it was

Jamie Carragher.In a career spanning over 16

years, the Liverpool defenderplayed in 14 finals and came out ontop 11 times.

Carragher’s pursuit of winners’medals took him up and down thecountry, across Europe and to thefar reaches of the globe.

It was a journey which began inCardiff, took him to Dortmund andIstanbul before ending up atWembley.

There were wins tinged with sheerrelief and those he ranks as his finesthours on the pitch.

Carragher’s medal haul began inthe 2001 League Cup Final againstBirmingham City, known at thetime as the Worthington Cup, atthe Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Pegged back by the First Divisionside after Robbie Fowler’s early

goal, Liverpool were taken toextra-time and then a penaltyshoot-out.

Carragher converted the Reds’sixth penalty to make it 5-4 beforeAndy Johnson had his spot-kicksaved by Sander Westerveld to handthe club their first trophy in sixyears.

“I left Cardiff feeling relievedrather than exhilarated by the

experience of my debut showpieceoccasion,” Carragher later reflectedin his autobiography.

“We were awful.”Keen to ensure that the Reds

didn’t leave empty handed,Carragher actually demanded theresponsibility of taking a spot-kick inthe shoot-out.

The finish was emphatic, but it ishis run-up that team-mate and closefriend Steven Gerrard remembersfondly.

“The run-up was so long theyshould have had an athletics trackthere,” Gerrard said.

“It looked about 100 metres. Ididn’t want to watch because I was

worried a good friend would stickthe 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 astraight face because if somebodytook a snap of me laughing I’d be inserious trouble.”

Seconds later he was laughing –with relief – at a clinically convertedspot-kick.

A six year drought soon became aseason double as Liverpool defeatedArsenal in the FA Cup final that May.

The ‘Michael Owen’ final was againheld at the Millennium Stadium asGerard Houllier’s men stunned theGunners with two late strikes.

There were times when Liverpoolrode their luck and Carragher saidthey had taken the art of winningwhen not playing well to “newheights.”

And though he admits Arsenalout-played them, Carragher saidLiverpool would never beout-fought.

The club’s hunt for an historictreble took them toWestfalenstadion, Dortmund for theUEFA Cup final against Alaves.

Liverpool had been criticised fortheir functional approachthroughout the competition butthere was nothing but thrills andspills in a final they won 5-4.

AAllll tthheessee tthhiinnggssUEFA Super Cup (2): 2001, 2005 (pictured);below, UEFA Champions League (1): 2004–05

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

BYPHIL

KIRKBRIDE

15CARRAGHER: THE TROPHIES

Carragher won all three medalsthat season whilst playing atleft-back.

The summer had passed and onthe eve of the new season, Liverpoolpicked up another piece ofsilverware.

A 2-1 win over Manchester Unitedin Cardiff secured the Charity Shieldon August 12, though Carragher’sinvolvement was limited to that of alate second half substitute.

Just over two weeks later and yetanother winners’ medal furnishedthe Carragher collection at thisBlundellsands home as Germangiants Bayern Munich were beaten inthe European Super Cup at Stade

Louis II in Monaco.John Arne Riise, Emile Heskey and

Michael Owen had the Reds 3-0 upjust after half-time and thoughBayern rallied to pull two back,Liverpool held on with Carragherplaying the full 90 minutes.

The trophy haul continued inMarch 2003 when ManchesterUnited were seen off as Gerrard andOwen scored the goals that liftedthe League Cup at the MillenniumStadium before Carragher’s definingmoment on a balmy May night in2005.

Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium was thescene for his most glorious night asCarragher turned in a legendary

performance to help the Reds winthe Champions League title.

Liverpool returned to Monaco thatAugust to pick up the EuropeanSuper Cup once more, this timedefeating CSKA Moscow 3-1 inextra-time.

Extra-time and penalties wereneeded for Liverpool to claim theFA Cup for the first time since 2001.

An unfortunate Carragher owngoal gave West Ham United the leadbefore Liverpool forced the gamebeyond 90 minutes when Gerrardmade it 3-3 in an up and downcracker.

The Reds won the penaltyshoot-out when Pepe Reina saved

three times but Carragher says thefinal belonged to one man.

“I know people say I'm biased, butI wouldn't swap him even forRonaldinho,” he said. "Ronaldinho isthe best there is, but Stevie is evenbetter, he is so important to us.Nobody at this club would swaphim, because he is different class.”

The Community Shield was addedthe following August when Chelseawere dispatched, thanks to goalsfrom Riise and Peter Crouch.

But Liverpool and Carragherwould have to wait nearly anothersix years for their next triumph.

And it would prove to be theclosing success of Carragher’s career

as Liverpool’s supporters once morehad their emotions put through thewringer against Cardiff City in theLeague Cup final at Wembley.

Carragher, a late replacement innormal time for Daniel Agger, said:“Nothing beats celebrating in frontof your own fans. It been too longsince we've done this and sohopefully it is the first of many moreto come.

“We had some great days atCardiff but I don't think anythingbeats Wembley and the drive up tothe stadium seeing your ownsupporters.”

It is fair to say they enjoyed seeinghim there too.

tthhaatt II hhaavvee WWOONNLeague Cup (3): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12

FA Community Shield (2): 2001, 2006 (pictured); UEFA Cup (1): 2000–01

16 CARRAGHER: HIS GOALS

FFIIVVEE ooff tthhee bbeesstt

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

THERE was a time whenJamie Carragher finished aseason as the leadingscorer for his team.

But the further his Liverpool careerprogressed, the further away from theopposition’s goal he played.

Carragher’s move into midfieldand then defence proved the

making of him but for aboy who idolised GrahamSharp, preventing goalsrather than scoringthem, will have takensome getting used to.The 35-year-old bows

out of the game with fivesenior goals in 16 seasons.

That tally drops to four, if you liveyour life by the rules of the FA’s DubiousGoals Committee who took away hisgoal against Middlesbrough five years ago.

His strike at the Kop End thatafternoon was his last for Liverpool asthe width of a goalpost denied Carraghera fairytale farewell against Queens ParkRangers on Sunday.

A goal then would have provided a neatsymmetry to his Anfield career.

On January 18, 1997, Carragher washanded his full league debut for the Redsat home to Aston Villa.

Illness to Patrik Berger meant the18-year-old took his place in midfieldalongside Jamie Redknapp.

After five minutes a corner was swunginto the area and Carragher met it with aheader past Mark Bosnich.

“I was a bit nervous, but it was moreexcitement really,” he said after the game.

“I got booked after 20 seconds, thatcalmed me down.”

It was two years before Carragherfound the net again. Southampton werethe visitors to Anfield and made the longjourney back to the south coast havingbeen thumped 7-1.

Robbie Fowler had already bagged ahat-trick by the time Carragher smashedhome after Redknapp’s free-kick wasspilled by goalkeeper Paul Jones.

If two years felt like a long time for aplayer used to scoring for fun in hisyounger days, six years will have felt like alifetime.

The third goal of Carragher’s Anfieldcareer arrived on July 26, 2005 againstlittle known Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas.

At the Dar and Girenas Stadium, in aChampions League second qualifyinground first leg, Carragher headed homeSteven Gerrard’s corner.

“It has been such a long time since Iscored, it has been embarrassing really,”he said. “The manager said before thegame that he wants three or four fromme this season, so hopefully I can do thatnow. I probably deserve the match ballafter that. Me scoring? It's like someonescoring a hat-trick!”

For his fourth goal, Gerrard was againthe supply line as Daniel Agger flicked onhis corner for the on-rushing Carragherto score with a sliding finish at the backpost past Fulham’s Jan Lastuvka at theKop End. Liverpool won the game onDecember 9, 2006 4-0.

His final goal in a Red shirt came onAugust, 23, 2008, again at Anfield.

Middlesbrough held the lead throughMido’s 70th minute goal but with theclock ticking down Carragher let fly fromthe edge of the area and, with the aid ofa deflection, it wrong-footed RossTurnbull.

Gerrard capped the comeback in thefinal seconds to secure the win.

BYPHIL

KIRKBRIDE

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

QUALITY OVERQUANTITY

1 18/1/97 v Aston Villa, Anfield, Premier

League – won 3-02 16/199 v Southampton, Anfield,

Premier League – won 7-13 26/7/05 FBK Kaunas, Dar & Girenas

St, Champions League – won 3-1

4 9/12/06 v Fulham, Anfield, Premier

League – won 4-05 23/8/08 v Middlesbrough, Anfield,

Premier League – won 2-1

17CARRAGHER: THE ENGLAND MAN

TThhrreeeeTHE symbolism has not

been lost on JamieCarragher. In April1999, the Liverpool

defender made his Englanddebut by replacing RioFerdinand against Hungaryin Budapest.

Carragher would then spend overa decade trying to get ahead of him inthe international queue.

A total of 38 caps in an 11-year career tells of thestruggle Carragher had in convincing a successionof managers that he was worthy of a place at theheart of England’s defence.

Ferdinand and John Terry were the regularpartnership but Sol Campbell, Ledley King andJonathan Woodgate would all elbow their wayahead of him at various points.

By the time Steve McClaren took the reins, Jamiewas ‘third choice’. Third choice wasn’t goodenough at that stage of his career. So in 2007 theLiverpool man decided to add years to his clubcareer by retiring from England duty.

Carragher answered an SOS from Fabio Capelloin 2010 to play in the World Cup but it wouldprove only to be a brief return to the internationalscene.

He will no doubt reflect on his Three Lionsjourney, which included two World Cups and aEuropean Championship, as one that wasbittersweet.

Carragher wanted to represent his country andfought for his place, but Liverpool would alwayscome first. Carragher was dedicated to the Englandcause, cancelling holidays to join squads at shortnotice, but disliked the volatile streak in demandingsupporters.

He craved victory as much as anyone but didn’ttake defeats as badly as some of his team-mates.

In the wake of England’s quarter-final exit in the2006 World Cup to Portugal, Carragher reflected:“I didn’t feel the same emptiness I sensed inothers.”

Carragher missed the penalty in the shoot-outthat sealed their exit and though hurt, he was leftwith the feeling that “at least it wasn’t Liverpool.”

But any notion that the Reds defender didn’t careabout being in the side was shattered oneafternoon in pre-season on his way from training atMelwood.

Carragher was labelled a “bottler” by a radiostation for considering international retirement.

Incensed, he rang the show and confronted thehost.

“Don’t ever call me a bottler on radio with allthose thousands of people listening,” he said on air.

“I’ve had the stomach to fight for my place foreight years.

“It’s going to be difficult for me to be seen asanything more than a squad player and at this stageof 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 wantall my focus to be on the club winning trophies.

“I’ve always said I want to stay at Liverpool for lifeand I think not playing for England would help makethat more realistic.” McClaren pleaded withCarragher to reconsider but England lost theservices of one of Europe’s very best defenders.

“I was never in love with playing for England inthe first place and by the time I stopped, I felt ahuge weight lifted off my shoulders,” saidCarragher, who once held the record number ofappearances for the under-21s.

England’s loss was Liverpool’s gain.

LLIIOONNSSoonn hhiisssshhiirrtt

BYPHIL

KIRKBRIDE

CARRAFOR

ENGLANDDebut April 28, 1999,v HungaryLast game June 18,2010, v AlgeriaCaps 38

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

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

Carragher sees his penalty saved in ashoot-out, against Portugal in the 2006 WorldCup quarter-final

Carragher on the bench with Wayne Rooneyat the 2006 World Cup – ultimately, Englandmanagers’ failure to pick him at centre-backfrustrated him

18 CARRAGHER: HIS FIRST BOSSES

IN TOTAL, Jamie Carragherplayed under six Liverpoolmanagers – but it’s GerardHoullier he credits as

having the greatest influence onhis career.

When the Frenchman arrived atAnfield in the summer of 1998,Carragher was a 20-year-old rookiestill looking to hold down a regularplace.

Under the guidance of Houllier, heblossomed into a mainstay of theside. He rarely played in hispreferred position of centre-backbut his versatility was invaluable.

Houllier had heard rave reviewsabout Carragher before he got towork with him and the reality didn’tdisappoint as they established astrong bond.

“Tom Saunders was the firstperson to speak to me aboutCarra,” Houllier said.

“He very much liked the playerand always felt that he would matureinto a fine centre-back. PeterRobinson also spoke very highlyabout him.

“I felt that he needed todevelop as a footballer in

other positions firstbut because of hispassion andcommitment, he wasalways going tobecome an important

part of my team inwhatever area of the

pitch I thought wasnecessary at the time.

“A lot of great centre-backs starttheir career at full-back. It helpsthem with technique and vision –French players like Maxime Bossisand Patrick Battiston did that. Carrawas the same.

“Carra has been a very goodplayer but most importantly he is avery good man. When I first becamemanager, he was jovial and lively. Heis a man who possesses what theFrench say a joie de vivre (joy of life)and appreciates where he is.

“Some people say they lovefootball but I don’t think manypeople love football quite as much asCarra. Of all the players I’vemanaged, he is probably the mostfanatical about the game.

“The most important aspect of hischaracter, though, is that he’s a veryloyal person. I could always rely onhim in football and away fromfootball.”

Carragher believes he has Houllierto thank for the longevity of hiscareer. It was the former Franceboss who transformed the trainingfacilities and methods at Melwood.He also warned Carragher tochange his lifestyle and settle down.

“I remember I sat down withhim and said that if he reallyloved football as much as Ithought he did he needed tolive his life in the correct way,”Houllier said.

“I said that between the ages of 20and 25 you can go outand have a drink andenjoy yourself bystaying out late, but ifyou continue to dothat, by your late 20s,you will be finished asa footballer at a clublike Liverpool.

“I believed that ifCarra looked afterhimself, he could playfor Liverpool well intohis 30s. I knew hewould listen becausehe is intelligent andunderstands thesacrifices it takes, notjust to get to the topbut to stay there aswell.”

The centraldefensive partnershipof Sami Hyypia andStephane Henchozmeant Carragherplayed most of hisgames under Houllier

at full-back.The signings of Christian Ziege,

Markus Babbel, John Arne Riiseand Steve Finnan all raisedquestion marks over his place inthe side but on each occasion herose to the challenge.

“I remember one summer wewent to the Far East for a fewpre-season games,” Houllier said.

“One of the days, we were inHong Kong and we found abeautiful terrace that overlookedthe city.

“I looked through one of thosetourist telescopes where you paysome money to have a great view ofthe city.

“As I was peering through it andadmiring the scene, I heard a voicefrom behind me: ‘there he is – theboss is probably looking for anotherleft-back’.

“It was Carra and all the playersstarted laughing. He had a greatsense of humour. I tried to signplayers from other clubs to putplayers in my team under pressure.

“Carra always managed to fend offthe competition because of hisdetermination. Some playerscrumble under such pressure, butCarra thrived on it.”

The highlight of Houllier’s six-yearreign was the remarkabletreble-winning season of 2000/01.

Having won the League Cup aftera penalty shootout triumph againstBirmingham City, Liverpool thenlifted both the FA Cup and theUEFA Cup in the space of fourunforgettable days.

HHee iiss aa ttrruueeBY

JAMES

PEARCE

“Some people say they lovefootball but I don’t think many

people love football quite as muchas Carra. Of all the players I’ve

managed, he is probably the mostfanatical about the game.”

Gerard Houllier

Carragher (back left) celebrates as RobbieFowler (front left) and Sami Hyypia (frontright) lift the UEFA Cup in Dortmund in2001

19CARRAGHER: HIS FIRST BOSSES

WWAARRRRIIOORR

They were the first seniorhonours of Carragher’s career andHoullier admits his contribution atleft-back to a historic achievementwas huge.

“Defensively, Carra wasmagnificent,” he said.

“Even though he was right footed,he had an excellent understandingof angles and because he was playingon a side of the pitch that wasn’tnatural to him, he could start theplay from deep.

“There are many players now like

Phillipe Lahm of Germany andBayern Munich who can play atleft-back despite being right-footed.

“Although Carra and Lahm forinstance have different attributes,what they share is footballintelligence so they adjust tosituations when they are happeningon the pitch very quickly.

“For me, 2000-01 was a fantasticseason. Okay, we won the threecups but probably the biggestthing was qualifying for theChampions League because

Liverpool hadn’t played in theEuropean Cup for such a longtime.”

The Community Shield andEuropean Super Cup were soonadded to the trophy cabinet, whilethe League Cup was secured onceagain in 2003 after victory overManchester United in Cardiff.

Houllier parted company withLiverpool in the summer of 2004but he was in Istanbul a year laterto watch Carragher inspire RafaBenitez’s side to Champions League

glory. That night provided anenduring image for his formermanager.

“If one moment can sum upCarra’s attitude towards footballand life, it was in Istanbul when hewas clearly very tired and sufferingwith cramp, but he still managed tothrow himself into tackles to savethe team,” Houllier added.

“He brought trophies to theclub and he also brought heart.Carra is a true Liverpoolwarrior.”

IT WAS manager Roy Evans who gaveJamie Carragher his Liverpool debut in aLeague Cup tie at the Riverside onJanuary 8 1997.

The 18-year-old was brought off the bench toreplace Rob Jones 15 minutes from time butcouldn’t save the Reds from a 2-1 defeat.

Evans liked what he saw in the youngster. Ahome bow followed against West Ham beforeCarragher capped his full debut against AstonVilla with a goal.

Since his departure from Anfield inNovember 1998, Evans has watchedCarragher’s career unfold with relish.

“Of course you need ability to get anywherenear signing for a club like Liverpool but thebiggest thing I saw in Jamie back then wascharacter,” Evans said.

“He was a proud Evertonian in his early daysand would stand there in front everyone askinghow Everton had got on. You needed guts todo that. Over the years he turned into a truered.

“He could be cantankerous at times andalways had an opinion but he learned to wind itin.

“In those early days we played him atfull-back or in front of the back four. It’s toughto play centre-back at the top level at an earlyage as getting caught out can be souldestroying.

“It’s a position that needs a fair bit ofexperience. With every game he played helearned a bit more and he improved year afteryear.

“He developed into a top class centre-backand the rest is history. What made him such agreat player for me is that he played everygame like it was a Champions League final.

“I don’t call many people legends but Jamie isone. We’ve got to fill a void in terms of hispersonality and his ability.”

Evans made the journey from Liverpoolplayer to coach to manager over three decadesand hopes Carragher returns to Anfield in thefuture and follow in his footsteps.

“I’d love to see him as a future Liverpoolmanager,” he added.

“He is so dedicated and knowledgeable. He’svociferous and gets his points made. I think hehas all the credentials.”

EEVVAANNSS TThheebbiiggggeesstt tthhiinngg

aabboouutt hhiimm wwaasshhiiss cchhaarraacctteerr

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

‘Please, boss, no moreleft-backs...’ Carraghershares a joke withGerrard Houllier andJohn Arne Riise

“For Houllier to make him firstchoice left back, even though he

is not naturally left footed, says itall. Competitive and a born

winner, he deserves to be firstchoice for England.” Reds legend

Ian Rush in 2002

20 CARRAGHER: THE CAPTAIN

FFoollllooww tthhee LLEEAADDEERR

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

J AMIE CARRAGHER ledLiverpool out for the 95th– and final time – againstQPR on Sunday.

But it was the first time he wasasked to pull on the captain’sarmband which spoke volumesfor the leadership qualities hepossessed from a tender age.

The visit of Manchester City onSeptember 9, 2000 was the firsttime Captain Carragher led outthe Reds. He was just 22-years ofage – and he was chosen byGerard Houllier to skipper a teamwhich included Germany’sEuropean champions MarkusBabbel and Dietmar Hamann,experienced Swiss defenderStephane Henchoz andmulti-capped Nigerianinternational Rigobert Song.

Predictably Carragher led theReds to victory.

It would be the first of manyoccasions he was asked to lead outthe Reds. And he enjoyed the thrillof lifting silverware aloft as skipperon two memorable occasions.

In July 2005, Carra signed a newfour-year deal at Anfield. His

loyalty was rewarded a monthlater when, in the absence of theinjured Steven Gerrard, he liftedthe European Super Cupfollowing victory over CSKAMoscow in Monte Carlo.A year later Carragher wore the

captain’s armband in theCommunity Shield againstchampions Chelsea, jointly holdingthe silver dish aloft with injuredskipper Gerrard.

But then the armband alwaysseemed a natural fit for afootballer who organised,encouraged and led by examplewhether he was named as captainor not.

Carragher demanded the samelevels of dedication and applicationfrom his team-mates as he alwayssupplied – and if he believed any ofhis team-mates dipped belowthose standards he wasn’t slow tolet them know.

The Reds were cruising to a 2-0away win at West Brom in thepenultimate match of 2008/09.

Manchester United couldn’t becaught at the top, there was nochance of the Reds being

overtaken in the ChampionsLeague slots, but that didn’t stopCarragher from taking team-mateAlvaro Arbeloa to task as TheBaggies threatened to snatch a lateconsolation.

The altercation attracted scrutinyafter the match – but forCarragher the words werenecessary.

“We can’t win the league nowbut there are a number of targetswe can still aim for,” he explainedafterwards.

“We want to keep a clean sheetand we want Pepe to have achance of the Golden Glove forthe third season running. Pepe isone behind Van der Sar now andthere’s a chance Van der Sar won’tplay next week, so we wanted tomake sure he got a clean sheettoday.

“To be honest we were a bitlackadaisical in our defending allthrough the game and they hadtoo many chances.”

That was Carragher to a tee.A leader whether he wore the

captain’s armband or not – andalways a winner.

BYDAVID

PRENTIC

E

Jamie Carragher’s organising skills are renowned

“JamieCarragher is thetrue boss in thedressing room.

He orderseverybody

around and yellsa lot.” Former

team-mateAlvaro Arbeloa

‘‘II wwaanntteeddttoo ggiivveessoommeetthhiinnggBBAACCKK’’

21CARRAGHER: THE FOUNDATION

R ETIRING Liverpoollegend JamieCarragher’s legacyextends far beyond

Anfield thanks to thetireless work of his charity,the 23 Foundation.

Formed in 2009, it has helpedchange the lives of thousands ofyoungsters across Merseyside andaround the world.

The foundation supports a wholehost of youth charities, clubs andcommunity projects by providinggrants.

It has gone from strength tostrength since Carragher donatedall the funds from his testimonialmatch and gala dinner inSeptember 2010 to the foundation

– ploughing more than £1millioninto the coffers.

The game against an Everton XIat Anfield was a fitting tribute tothe Kop legend’s remarkableservice to the club as he scoredfor both teams in the Reds’ 4-1victory in front of more than35,000 fans.

“It wasn’t about me, the aimwas to try to raise £1millionand it was brilliant we didthat,” Carragher said.

“It was great that David Moyesbrought Everton across and it wasa good game. It was nice that wereso many old faces involved. Thingscould not have worked out better.”

His former clubmates turned outin force as he lined up alongside

the likes of Michael Owen, LuisGarcia, Emile Heskey, StephenWarnock, Steve Finnan, GaryMcAllister, Danny Murphy andJerzy Dudek, while GerardHoullier sat beside Roy Hodgsonon the bench.

Liverpool skipper and closefriend Steven Gerrard, who hadplayed 90 minutes against Bulgariaat Wembley less than 24 hoursearlier, was given permission toleave the England squad and headnorth to make a brief cameo.

“It was important for me to beinvolved because I am so close toJamie, not just as a team-mate butalso as a friend,” Gerrard said.

“I wanted to be there and sharethe occasion with him because

we’ve played together for so long.It went perfectly for him and hecertainly deserved it.”

Donations from sponsoredevents and the auctioning off ofLiverpool FC memorabilia have allhelped the Foundation to growand expand its reach in recentyears.

As well as giving Merseysidechildren the chance to achievetheir dreams, after being inundatedwith requests from further afield italso now provides assistance toprojects in places such as the FarEast, South Africa, Scandinavia andAmerica.

“I decided that donating theproceeds from my testimonial tocharity wasn’t enough as I wanted

to set up something that wouldlast a lifetime. That is why theFoundation was formed,”Carragher said.

“I wanted to give something backand it has gone a lot better than Ithought. When it first started Iwasn’t sure how it would workout, but it has gone really well andit’s rewarding to see the moneymaking a difference.

“Obviously, we put the money infrom the testimonial and we’ve hadgreat support for the Foundationfrom so many people.

“That has enabled us to fundmore and more initiatives and it’ssomething I’ll continue to beinvolved with as there are a lot ofpeople who need help.”

BYJAMES

PEARCE

Main picture: Jamie Carragher scores – forEverton – in his testimonial, which raised £1m forhis charity. Left: Carragher with Tuebrook tennisace Mary Clarke, one of the many youngsters tohave benefited. Above: Carragher launches theFoundation at his Cafe Sport in the city centre

22 CARRAGHER: THE MANAGERS

JAMIE CARRAGHER remembers well anexchange with Rafa Benitez as he left apress conference ahead of a 2005 clashwith Chelsea.

Carragher, due himself to face the mediastraight after, asked his then manager what hehad told them. “I said you were a betterdefender than John Terry,” replied Benitez,accompanying his words with a 'Pinocchio'gesture. In other words; “I lied”.

Benitez's words, though, would proveprophetic. As over the next five years,Carragher would match, and in many people'seyes surpass, his England rival.

“I think in 2007 John Terry said that Carrawas one of the best centre backs at this time,”says Benitez. “And at that time we were reallypleased to be able to watch him playing everygame with the consistency he did.

“To play more than 700 games for any teamin football is really a great achievement, but todo it for one club is even better.”

Benitez, a manager who has always pridedhimself on his side's defensive organisation,used DVDs of his great Valencia side to helpencourage Carragher, a versatile, rather thanspecialist, defender when he arrived, and by2007 he was convinced Carra belonged on theworld stage.

"For me Jamie is one of the best defenders inEurope,” he said. “He is always focused on thegame, always trying to learn. That is the key forme because each season he improves a littlebit.

“He is always listening and that is one of thereasons he can keep improving. It is the sameevery training session, always working hard,always trying to improve.

“He reminds me of a hunting dog, when Iwant something specific done in defence he isvery willing to learn. As a defender he issomeone you do not want to play against, tohave marking you.

“He has a strong character. He is alwaysshouting and talking to the others, such a keyplayer 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 isso important, he puts people under pressureand that is really good for team spirit. Jamiewas playing really well, he has been a really keyplayer for us."

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Carragher and Benitez in 2009

DDAALLGGLLIISSHH FFrroomm tthhee SSaannggsstteerr ttoo tthhee SSaannTHE young Jamie Carraghermade a lasting impression onKenny Dalglish. Hisgoal-scoring exploits for BootleBoys earned him an invitationto attend Liverpool’s School ofExcellence when he was nine in1987.

Dalglish, then first team manager,was a regular visitor to Anfield’sVernon Sangster Leisure Centre andwould often join in the five-a-sidematches.

He nicknamed Carragher ‘Sharpy’

as the boyhood Everton fan, whosehero was Graeme Sharp, wouldturn up for training with Liverpoolwearing his Blues kit.

“I remember him well in thosedays as a centre-forward as my sonPaul was there at the time,” Dalglishsaid. “The fact he strolled inwearing his Everton strip said a lotabout the young Carra’s character.

“He showed no inhibitions,regardless of the surroundings.Whether he was playing a five-asideaged 11 or excelling in the San Siro

or Nou Camp in the ChampionsLeague, he’s never changed.

“He was a prolific goal scorer inhis age group, and my youth scoutswere telling me they had high hopeshe’d progress through our ranks.”

Dalglish’s return to Anfield for asecond spell in charge in January2011 saw Carragher get theopportunity to play for the Koplegend.

It was under Dalglish that thevice-captain secured the final pieceof silverware of his glittering career

when Cardiff City were beaten onpenalties in last season’s CarlingCup final at Wembley.

The Scot says the centre-back’scommitment to the cause made hima pleasure to work with.

“His leadership on the pitch hasbeen so important to LiverpoolFootball Club,” Dalglish said.

“He’s been an unbelievableservant for the club, both on and offthe pitch. We can only be gratefulfor the wonderful service he hasgiven to Liverpool.

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RODGERS wasbrutally honestwhen asked how

you go about trying to fillJamie Carragher's bootsat Anfield.

The current Reds boss isonly too aware that hisvice-captain's retirement willleave a gaping hole in hisLiverpool squad.

“I don't think he can bereplaced,” Rodgers said. “Heis a real iconic player for thisclub and will be irreplaceable.

“I genuinely think he is aplayer who I would call apure defender. You see a lotof rash defending nowadaysbut he defends with greatintelligence, he knowswhen to mark a manand when to markspace andunderstandsthe basicprinciples ofdefending.

“He is anoutstanding leaderand organiser in the team andto find someone with allthose capabilities and whohas the heart the size of alion is very difficult.

“That type you won't findbut you have to look forother types with otherqualities and that issomething we will have todo.”

Rodgers says he feelsindebted to theprofessionalism andexperience of Carragherfollowing his arrival fromSwansea City last summer.

Carragher started just onePremier League match in thefirst half of the season butknuckled down and nevercomplained about a lack ofgame time.

In mid-January Rodgersdecided his backline was in

need of greater leadershipand handed the centre-back arecall for the visit of NorwichCity. Carragher shone and hisconsistency ensured heretained his place for the restof the campaign.

“Jamie has been absolutelyoutstanding for me since Ijoined the club,” he said.

“He has been a modelprofessional on and offthe pitch and has shownan unswervingcommitment to ourwork. He's never had alazy day.

“Earlier in the season hedidn't play as much as hewould have liked but when he

did play he was excellent.“He's a greatorganiser and in thesecond half of theseason webenefited fromhaving him back inthe team. He has

been a giant for me.He's an incredible man

- one of a dying breed.”Rodgers would have dearly

loved to retain Carragher'sservices for another 12months but respects hisdecision to call time after 17seasons at the highest level.

“Look at the quality of hisperformances, for me hecould play on but his dreamwas to go out at the top andhe has fulfilled that dream,”he said.

“There's a real sadness forme because he epitomiseseverything that I want.

“But he's been an absolutecredit to his football club andhis family and he's been asheer joy to work with.

“He'll move on to themedia next year and he'lldemonstrate his intelligence.His knowledge of footballmeans he will be a joy towatch.”

“He defends with great intelligence, heknows when to mark a man and when to

mark space.”

BYJAMES

PEARCE

23CARRAGHER: THE MANAGERS

SSiirroo,, hhee ggaavvee hhiiss aallll“The fans hold him in such high

esteem because they can relate tohim.

“Everyone who has played footballhas had a bad game at some timebut he has never once had a badattitude. The fans will always standby 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 thatLiverpool has had a servant likeJamie. As a local boy it is alwaysspecial and Jamie is a local boy who

has never once got carried awaywith it all and who can relate to thesupporters.

“That’s really important. It is notas if he has breezed in and breezedout. He has always had a veryspecial affinity with the supporters.

“Carra’s name will sit comfortablyalongside those of Ron Yeats,Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes, PhilThompson, Alan Hansen and MarkLawrenson. I am sure the door atLiverpool Football Club will alwaysbe open to him.”

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ROY HODGSON’S shortlived Anfieldreign meant he only spent six monthsworking with Jamie Carragher but thecentre-back’s qualities made their mark.

The current England boss parted companywith Liverpool back in January 2011.

“Jamie has been a major figure at the club andhas been for all of his career,” Hodgson said.

“If anyone deserves the accolades, it’s him.He was everything I expected him to be: agood defender, a great club man, a tremendousenthusiast, very good trainer, first classprofessional and a person with his own attitudewhich you wish you could find in every playeryou work with.

“I can’t say good enough things about him butthe most important thing is said by his record.

“All the games he’s played and all thesacrifices and great efforts he’s made forLiverpool Football Club tells you everythingyou need to know about him.

“It was always evident that he was a modelprofessional who gave everything he had forclub and country.

“People like him and Steven Gerrardepitomise Liverpool Football Club. He playedleft-back, right-back and centre-half for me andnever moaned about it. He just got on with thejob.

“He has had a fantastic career and will alwaysbe looked on very fondly by everyoneassociated with Liverpool Football Club.”

Roy Hodgson keeps an eye on JamieCarragher in training before a EuropaLeague tie at Trabzonspor in 2010

Carragher with Kenny Dalglish at his book launch

NNOO CCHHAANNCCEE

Season League FA LC Europe Other Total1996-1997 2 0 1 0 0 31997-1998 20 0 2 1 0 231998-1999 34 2 2 6 0 441999-2000 36 2 2 0 0 402000-2001 34 6 6 12 0 582001-2002 33 2 1 16 1 532002-2003 35 3 5 11 0 542003-2004 22 3 0 4 0 292004-2005 38 0 3 15 0 562005-2006 36 6 0 13 2 572006-2007 35 1 1 13 1 512007-2008 35 4 3 13 0 552008-2009 38 3 1 12 0 542009-2010 37 2 1 13 0 532010-2011 28 0 0 10 0 382011-2012 21 5 5 0 0 312012-2013 24 1 2 11 0 38Totals 508 40 35 150 4 737

APPEARANCES BY SEASON

Jamie Carragher shares a joke with Brendan Rodgers intraining and, right, gives the bench a thumbs-up duringhis last Merseyside derby this month

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