Centerback
5 Goals
577 Appearances (as of the end of 2008-2009)
Promoted from the Academy in 1996 for free
BACKGROUND BEFORE LFC
Jamie Carragher was an Everton supporter as a boy, but fate would have it that he would become one of Liverpool’s all-time great central defenders. If that’s a stretch, then at least he would become one of the most beloved! 500+ appearances tells that story, but as a boy this was not at all expected. During his time at the Academy, Carragher was a central midfielder, and was quite good on the ball… which explains his composure today as a defender. Similarly to Michael Owen, Carragher’s success was no surprise as he was part of the exclusive “Lilleshal” group, which were about 14 or 15 of England’s most talented players selected to become “bred for English success.” Steven Gerrard never even made this group, that’s how exclusive it was! And in 1996, Carragher won the FA Youth Cup with Michael Owen and David Thompson. By the 1996-1997 season, it was time for Jamie to make the step up and become part of the first team… but his debut would have to wait until January.
SIGNING FOR, AND SETTLING INTO, LFC
Jamie Carragher signed his professional contract in October of 1996 after a successful time with the youth set-up, and made his debut three months later in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa. If Carragher was nervous for this match, it was actually quite obvious… he was booked after just 20 seconds! But he’d go on to score with a towering header on this debut, opening up the scoring for Liverpool. If anyone thought that this would become a regular occurence, they were sorely mistaken. His strike rate of 1 goal in over 100 appearances speaks volumes to that! But what a debut! He wouldn’t play in any more matches during the season, but he would become a regular in seasons to come. By the 1998-1999 season, Carragher was a regular starter and never looked back, partaking in 40 or more matches in every season since… except for his injury-dampened 2003-2004 campaign. The second season for Carra, which was 1997-1998, saw mixed appearances, but it was clear that he would have a future as a fullback rather than as a central midfielder for Houllier, who had plenty of choices there but not at fullback. This would become a pattern for Carra… fill in where he was needed. This is why he has been such a valuable commodity!
STYLE OF PLAY
Jamie Carragher is by all means a natural leader with competition coursing through his veins… and because of that, the supporters LOVE him. Anyone who is willing to pull a groin to prevent a chance after ALREADY injuring himself is a hero… and when this is in a Champions League Final, well, you can figure out why he’s so appreciated. This is his style. No fear, no pulling out of a challenge, no sense of complacency. Carra is always competing, always putting forth his 100%, and always leading by example and by words. He is a wonderful example of professionalism and dignity, but this wasn’t always the case. Carra has had to learn this over the years, but by now he’s a shining example to those around him.
As a defender, Carra is definitely more of a man-marker and a tough-tackler rather than an offensive-minded “Agger” or “Hyypia” style of player. When he pushes forward, it is always rather tentatively… but quality when called upon is definitely there. The one that springs to mind was against Sunderland in the 2007-2008 season when he was on the right side and turned the player inside out and whipped in a pinpoint cross to Crouch, who headed in. It was a FABULOUS piece of skill. Though he may not score goals, he can create them, and is known for being quite good on the ball. Jamie Carragher is a quality footballer, no matter how “tough” he might appear!
BEST MOMENTS
Carra has been a crucial part to Liverpool’s increase of success in the 00’s. He was a critical piece to the “Treble” season of 2000-2001, (the Community Shield and Super Cup in 2001 as well), he was there when we won the League Cup in 2002-2003, and he was most definitely there for the Champions League Final in 2004-2005. The FA Cup in 2006, Super Cup in 2006, and Community Shield in 2006 were other trophies Carra was able to enjoy. Jamie Carragher has definitely been there to lift some silverware.
But in my mind his best moment was his performance in the second half of the Champions League Final. At times, he single-handedly saved us from disaster. He broke up chance after chance, often times at the expense of his own health! You have to love it!
TOUGH TIMES
There have been a few rough moments from Carragher. The first one that springs to mind was when he had a coin thrown at him at Highbury in an FA Cup tie with Arsenal in the 2001-2002 season. Being the feisty character that he is, Carra threw it back at the crowd. Not wise. He got a bit crucified for that, but had it not been Carragher, it probably would have been worse! Another rough moment for him was breaking his leg against Blackburn in 2003, leaving him out of the side for nearly 4 months. The team suffered as a result, and it underlined just how much we needed him out there. The third moment that sticks out is the own-goals. He has had his share, sadly. Two in one match against Manchester United sounds like the worst of it, but the O.G. in the 2006 FA Cup Final probably tops it. Others against Hull City and Tottenham in 2008-2009 didn’t help his cause either. The last one to mention was blowing his top at West Brom when Arbeloa made a mistake. Given that Carra was a bit error-prone in this season, it was a bit rich of him to lose it like that, perhaps signalling that his time might be coming to a close sooner than later.
2008-2009 SEASON VERDICT
Carra was still solid in 2008-2009, but perhaps a few signs of aging are starting to show. He made a few mistakes not normally seen in a man we’ve grown to know as a consistent “calm head.” Own goals against both Tottenham and Hull City were completely preventable, as was a mistake that should’ve been capitalized on by West Ham when he lost concentration and stumbled on the ball, leading to a Di Michele missed opportunity. Though Carragher wasn’t “bad” at all in 2008-2009, he certainly didn’t impress. We leaked more goals than normal, and he was frequently the reason for it. I, for one, feel like it might be that time to pair Agger and Skrtel together and let Carra start to take a role as a player-coach. It won’t happen yet, but don’t be surprised if it is relatively soon.
LFC CAREER VERDICT
Fantastic, simple as that. It started off choppy as he was being shifted from his more familiar position of central midfielder to rightback or leftback, but he soon found his way on the sides, becoming a regular in those positions. In the “Treble” season, Carra was the left back, and a year later he was shifted to the right as Markus Babbel fell ill. When Rafa came, he noticed Carra would be best suited as a central defender, and this worked marvellously. Throughout all of these changes, one thing was for certain… Carragher was needed out on the pitch and was truly loved and appreciated by the supporters. His toughness and last-ditch tackles have turned him into a bit of a hero, but his “legendary” status has been achieved additionally by his transformation from blue to red. For being such an Everton nut as a kid, Carra has really done the switch… something that couldn’t be said for Michael Owen. Not only has he totally switched over, but Carra seemingly knows EVERYTHING about Liverpool’s recordbooks and history. Add to that a personality of true charisma and of working-class grit, and you’ve got someone that the supporters truly lift up as “one of their own.” He’ll always go down as a local legend, and much deserved, I’d say!
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