"Favourite Carra Moment?"

 

However, when you consider that the number one position on that list belongs to Kenny Dalglish - genius player, creator of our greatest team and moral compass for the club in its darkest hour - then the regard in which I hold Jamie Carragher hopefully becomes apparent. If not, then simply consider the many truly great players who necessarily feature below him on that list.

 

For me, Jamie Carragher is the living embodiment of The Liverpool Way: loyal, honest, intelligent, dedicated and, of course, talented. In a career spanning well over 700 games, the great moments are legion but - as with most Reds - I believe his defining performance came in Istanbul. 

 

It could well be argued that he had better games for Liverpool (although not many); but sometimes the significance of the occasion transcends such considerations to elevate one moment above all others and, in the European Cup Final of 2005, when Liverpool defeated the European footballing institution of AC Milan in the greatest football match of all time, Jamie Carragher defined his own legend.

 

Bizarrely, there's a popular misconception about Carra that he's somehow not a technical player; that passing the ball is a little bit beyond him. Despite the fact that, in this, his last season for the club, he has adapted better than any other defender to Brendan Rodgers' instructions to play the ball out from the back, some people have remained blind to his obvious talent as a footballer for years. In my view, the roots of that ignorance stem from his career-defining performance in Istanbul.

 

At its very best, sport has an emotional resonance with us because it tells stories of human endeavour in the most challenging of circumstances short of war. When watching Carra's body-on-the-line refusal to be defeated by Milan once again, his indefatigable spirit remains just as stirring for me as any Dalglish pass, Barnes dribble or Fowler touch of genius.

 

In that match Carra repeatedly pushed his body beyond what it wanted to do, defying cramp as well as the best the Milan forwards could offer to tackle, block and intercept his way to glory. Furthermore, he constantly encouraged, cajoled and demanded more from those around him, either directly or indirectly lifting lesser characters like Vladimir Smicer and Djimi Traore to displays that offered more than the sum of those players' parts. 

 

And therein lie Carra's perceived limitations in the minds of some: his greatness that night was not born of technique, but character. However, it wasn't just for his leadership, defensive brilliance or refusal to be beaten physically that Carra shone in the European Cup Final. His quick-thinking exhortation to Jerzy Dudek to do a Brucie also revealed the wisdom of a footballing brain that has been immersed in Liverpool Football Club lore to such an extent that his previous allegiances have long since become an irrelevance. Furthermore, his positioning, timing, judgement and cool-headedness exemplified the fact that defending at its best is an art form as dazzling as any striker's finish and just as relevant in terms of winning matches, too. 

 

No, those who see Carra as limited in some way either don't understand defending or simply can't see beyond the bleedin' obvious. For me, Istanbul was Carra's perfect storm, when every ounce of wisdom, character and ability he possessed took him - and the club along with him - to Liverpool's greatest triumph.

 

If ever a man has earned the right to leave Liverpool with his head held high, it's Jamie Carragher. In all his years at the club, he has never once given less than his very best and he will depart at the end of this season as a legend whose name will deservedly resonate alongside the greatest in the club's history. We will never see his like again, of that I'm certain. And so it seems entirely appropriate to assert that his greatest performance came in a match whose like we'll never see again either.

 

Carragher and Istanbul: undoubtedly two names which will remain synonymous throughout Liverpool history.

 

 

 

 

Carra asked Shreeves for his definition of ‘bigger than Liverpool’ because the only thing he could see as bigger was a club that had more money in its bank account. Shreeves implied that Carra could win more medals at another club rather than at Liverpool, Carra’s response? “Nah, I’m not accepting that”. How could you not love that? As a fan is that not everything you would to hear from a player?

 

Lots of players come out with false platitudes to curry favour with the fans but you never got that sense with Carragher. He has always been honest in his assessments of where the club is and where it needs to be. You don’t want to hear the usual vanilla responses from players, you want to hear them defend the cause passionately, defend the institution like you would if you were debating (alright, arguing) with fans of other teams. I hear that interview even now and it makes me smile, the sound of incredulousness in Carra’s voice as Shreeves asks the question; because to you and I Liverpool are the biggest team around. 

 

No one comes close to this club but you know for most players it’s different. How many times have we signed a player and the first thing they say is ‘this is a massive club’? Loads, but how many of them actually mean it and haven’t been told to say it by their agent or the club’s PR guy? How many times have we been linked to a player and fans have commented “he’s a boyhood Liverpool fan” like it matters? It doesn’t matter to most players because they’re professionals trying to make a living. But here’s the beauty of Jamie Carragher. He grew up a blue but that doesn’t matter because really, ultimately, it doesn’t matter about your boyhood team. What matters is how you carry yourself as a professional as an adult. 

 

Jamie Carragher is synonymous with Liverpool Football Club now, he’s regarded as a one of our greatest ever servants, that doesn’t happen by luck. That happens because of how you respect your team mates, the fans and the club you play for. That when you go out and play, the fans know that you’re doing everything you can to win for them. Every time Jamie Carragher has gone out there you’ve known that he’s giving it everything. Every league, cup or European game you’ve known it. 

 

That interview is my favourite Carra moment because no matter how bad times have got, no matter how good, the club always pushes on and strives to be better and in the end that’s what Carra said “I’m not accepting that”. We don’t and he never has. Who’s bigger than Liverpool? No one. Who’s given more for the cause than Carra? No one, and we all accept that.

 

 

 

 

The freezing cold day was warmed up considerably for me when Dave texted me saying Carra wanted some fanzines to take home on the coach and would I meet him outside after the game. Would I???? I waited outside after trying to sell a few in the typical Middlesbrough cold and sure enough he came over and introduced himself and asked what I thought of the match. Nervously, I tried to be as positive as I could and say it was a hard fought point!!! 

 

He took a few fanzines, maybe five or so and insisted I took the money for them despite Dave instructing me not to take it from him if he offered it. His mate who he was with tried to grab about ten more from me only for Jamie to say to him "come on don't take the piss lad". I was probably the only red who came home in a decent mood that afternoon after that experience. In the months afterwards as I used to sell the fanzine by the Shankly Gates, he would walk past me every so often as he recovered from his injury and he'd always say hello. Just as classy off the pitch as on it. I will never forget it even though he understandably probably has.

 

Regarding on the pitch memories, there have been too many to mention, but I will go for a less obvious one; The penalty shoot out v Birmingham in 2001 at Cardiff. All the pressure was on us throughout the game. Six years without a trophy at that point and we were labouring against a Championship side in the final. I think I wasn't alone that day in fearing the worst as Carragher stepped up.  The shoot out was really in the balance at that point and I really expected him to miss. 

 

Fear not though, under all the pressure Jamie took at least a 20 yard run up and side footed a beauty into the top corner and nonchalantly turned round without batting an eyelid. He took that penalty like a Jan Molby clone. I think my mood at the time was one of relief and wanting to burst into a fit of laughter at how easy he made it look. Nothing ever fazed him. 

 

He showed respect to opponents throughout his career and for a defender with his combative style, his disciplinary record was and is generally excellent. Honesty, integrity, talent, grit, determination. He has (I am not using the word ''had'' as it brings a lump to the throat thinking of everything in the past sense) them all in spades. 

 

The tributes to his career from people outside the Liverpool fraternity this week who've played directly against him speak even more volumes than people from inside the club who have been involved in his career at various stages. Nobody but nobody has a bad word to say about him. A great ambassador and the true soul of this club.

 

 

 

 

I've watched him as a central midfielder, a left back as we had that great season in 2001, a right back and finally, a centre half, where I have seen him put in so many awesome performances. Picking a favourite JC moment is tough, and it would be easy to pick Istanbul.

 

But for me, his finest moment was the Chelsea semi final in the same year. I'll never forget walking into Anfield that night, it was electric. That only intensified after Luis Garcia's early goal. We had our lead, and something to cling onto for the rest of the game.

 

Chelsea battered us, as you would expect them to as they were at the time a much better team than we were, and we had a lot of defending to do. And this is where Jamie Carragher comes into the fore. Defending deeply suited him perfectly I always thought, his anticipation and reading of the game was always excellent and he saved us on so many occasions in this game it was untrue. 

 

Every time a ball bounced loose, Carragher was there to avert the danger. Every time a half chance looked like it was going to fall to a Chelsea player, Carragher was there. Every time a last ditch header was nicked away from an onrushing Chelsea player, Carragher was there. Every time someone had a shot at goal, Carragher was there to make the block.

 

It would have been typical of the way football kicks people in the balls for that last second Eidur Gudjohnsen miss to have fizzed in off his studs. It was about the only time in the whole game a Chelsea player had found themselves unmarked. I'd love to ask Carra about that - how did he miss it? Everything else had been magnetically attracted to him or big Sami all night. It was about five centimetres away from an own goal. Not only would it have dumped us out but it would have been a tragic end to the best individual display I have ever seen in a Liverpool shirt. 

 

I'll never forget coming in from this match and just catching the end of the highlights. Benitez' tongue was bleeding, presumably from screaming and shouting instructions. Jamie Carragher probably had blood dripping from his chest. The most committed, resolute and downright heroic individual display I have ever seen. Take a bow in May JC, because you deserve it. And thank you for everything, with hopefully a few more memories to come.

 

 

 

 

A lot of people wouldn't have even known who Jamie Carragher was prior to Roy Evans giving him a couple of substitute appearances for the first team in January 1997.  Back then there was no official club website or TV channel to broadcast reserve and Academy games, there wasn't even an Academy actually come to think of it!  Kids coming through the ranks back then were far more low profile than they are in the modern game, where even under 16 players have thousands of followers on twitter.  

 

I only knew about 'Carra' before he made the breakthrough because I went to most reserve games at Anfield and I'd also seen him in the Youth Cup when he was part of the team that won the trophy in 1996.  Michael Owen was the undisputed star of that side, and the other player most talked about was probably Davie Thompson.  Carragher wasn't as spectacular or eye catching as those two, but he was always highly rated within the club and he'd been involved with the various England sides since he was a kid, so it wasn't as though he just appeared from nowhere.

 

He was generally seen as midfielder back then, he partnered Thompson in the middle of midfield in the early FA Youth Cup games, but a suspension to big Eddie Turkington meant he dropped into the back four for the latter rounds and he was outstanding in both positions.  Weird how I can remember that entire youth team but I probably couldn't tell you who the first team played a fortnight ago.  Must be an age thing.  

 

Anyway, Carragher saw himself as a midfielder in those days, I can even remember watching an interview with him where he said the number he'd like to wear for the first team was 8.  It never worked out that way, he started as number 23 and he'll finish that way.  The number has become synonymous with him, forget Michael Jordan, number 23 belongs to Carra.  Jordan lost his 23 privileges by coming out of retirement and wearing the number 45, I don't see Jamie doing that somehow, although I live in hope.

 

His full debut came at Anfield when Roy Evans started him in midfield against Villa.  Within seconds he'd been booked for clattering Andy Townsend and most of the ground feared that this hot headed kid was going to get himself sent off for being too eager to impress.  The booking settled him down however, and he went on to produce an accomplished performance capped by scoring a header at the Kop end in a 3-0 win.  

 

What I remember about that day is how excited he was as he celebrated wildly in front of the Kop, and how people thought we'd discovered this goalscoring midfielder!  Not quite.  It's amazing to think since that day he's played well over 700 games for the club and only found the net a further four times.  He was a very capable holding midfielder who would become a dependable full back before establishing himself as a world class centre half and one of the finest ambassadors the club has ever seen.

 

We will probably never see the like of Jamie Carragher again, he's a one off and there'll barely be a dry eye in the house for that last home game of the season against QPR.  Legend is an overused word, but it also doesn't seem to do enough justice where Carra is concerned.