Carragher tells CaughtOffside what’s it like to have retired as a footballer and where Liverpool are going.
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After 17 years as a player for Liverpool, local boy Jamie Carragher decided to hang up his boots at the end of the 2012/13 season having won 11 trophies with the club – including two FA Cups, three League Cups and of course the dramatic Champions League victory in 2005.
Being a one club player is highly unusual in the modern game of high transfer and signing on fees, but it is this loyalty that has marked the former defender out among fellow professionals and has made Carragher a firm favourite on the Kop.
“I always think it’s nice being a one club player. I always thought it was something special,” the Englishman exclusively told CaughtOffside.
“It’s not until you come towards the end of your career that you think it could happen because in football anything can happen at any time. But I never even came close to leaving Liverpool, it was always an ambition of mine to be a one club man.”
However, now away from the game Carragher has taken up a position alongside highly acclaimed pundit and former rival Gary Neville, on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football programme. The 35-year-old is able to step back from the pressure that comes with playing for the Reds now and has plenty of opinions of what lies ahead at Anfield – whether that is with or without want-away striker Luis Suarez.
“I see Suarez being at Liverpool. But guys like Suarez have come and gone before and the club moves on – the club will be there forever,” the ex-international continued
“Luis Suarez is obviously a great player and will be difficult to replace, but the club always moves on. It’s not something I’d like to see happen though because he’s such a top player.”
Carragher was also honest about Liverpool’s prospects this year in the Premier League and whilst the Merseyside man was hopeful of success, there is still a sense of reality.
“I wouldn’t make Liverpool favourites to make the top four to be honest, I think you still have to look at Arsenal for that really.
“But with a couple of more additions I think they’re going to make a better fight of it than they have done over the past few years. I expect them to go a lot closer.
For now Carragher seems settled as pundit alongside Neville in what would have been the start of an England back four a few years ago, but the Liverpudlian has not ruled out going into management one day.
“I would never rule out being a coach or manager,” the former centre-back admitted.
“You can never rule anything out but for me over the next couple of years it’s just Sky really.
“It’s good working with Gary Neville. It’s like we’re on the same team, we’re team mates now aren’t we?
“That wasn’t the case in the past and we certainly disagree on things, but it’s not about looking for trouble it’s about making the show as good as possible by both giving our opinions and being strong with that.”