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Position: Defender
Date of Birth: 28/01/1978
Height: 5'10
Weight: 12st 4
1st team games: 602
1st team goals: 5
International caps: 34
International goals: 0
Former clubs: N/A
Birth Place: Bootle |
In these days of big money transfers, prima donna players, and agents engineering moves at every opportunity, it is increasingly rare to see a player spend their career with one club. In Jamie Carragher though we have a player who consistently gives his all for the club, and would never dream of a move to pastures new just because the money was better.
The Liverpool vice-captain has had a key role to play in the clubs successes over the last decade, during which time he's notched up more than 500 appearances.
His Liverpool career began back in October 1996 when he signed professional terms following a successful apprenticeship. The Scouse youngster had already represented England Under 21s, and earlier that year was a key part of Liverpool's FA Youth Cup winning team alongside Michael Owen and David Thompson.
Carragher’s debut came at Middlesbrough on January 8, 1997 in the Coca-Cola Cup. A first league start followed when manager Roy Evans selected him for the Premiership clash with Aston Villa on January 18, 1998. He marked his debut with a goal, but this was not a sign of things to come as he went on to only score another three in the following 10 years.
His versatility saw him play a number of roles for Liverpool, making appearances at left & right back, centre back and as a defensive midfielder. This flexibility also earned him an England call-up, with Kevin Keegan handing Carragher his first cap against Hungary in April 1999.
Whilst Carragher had always been a regular feature in the first team at Anfield, he'd struggled to nail down one position as his own. The arrival of Rafa Benitez soon changed this though, with the new manager making him a permanent fixture at centre back, his preferred position.
Along with Sami Hyypia, Carragher established himself as part of one of the best defensive pairings in Europe, and his crowning glory came in the Champions League Final of 2005, with the unforgettable scenes of the player throwing himself into last ditch challenges whilst in severe pain from cramp.
Now established as a essential part of Benitez’s squad Carragher signed a new four-year deal in July 2005,
and a month later he captained Liverpool in the absence of Steven Gerrard to European Super Cup victory after beating CSKA Moscow in Monte Carlo.There was more silverware to come at the end of the season when Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup against West Ham, despite the defender scoring an own goal.
In August 2006 Carragher again captained his side in the Community Shield against champions Chelsea, collecting the silver dish along with
injured skipper Gerrard.
After playing in another Champions League Final in the 06/07 season that summer saw him retire from international football following a succession of players being selected ahead of him for England. It certainly did his club form no harm and six months later he became only the 12th player to make 500 appearances for Liverpool, and then became the first player ever to represent the Reds 100 times in European competition.
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