8 Feb 2013

'I persuaded him' - BR admits 'outstanding' star tried to quit LFC last year

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher announced yesterday that he plans to retire from professional football at the end of the season, but according to Reds coach Brendan Rodgers, Carra wanted to retire last summer, and had to be talked into playing on for another year.

In his pre-West Brom press conference today, Rodgers hailed Carra as an 'irreplaceable' player; a 'dying breed' with the 'heart of a lion', and revealed that he wanted to quit playing last summer. Rodgers said:

"Jamie thought about this [retiring] last summer when I first came in.

"He and I had some good conversations, and I persuaded him to stay on.

"He's been a giant for me ever since I came in, and his performances recently have been outstanding"


After being persuaded to give it another year, I wouldn't be surprised if Carra was privately miffed at not getting much playing time in the first half of the season, and that probably cemented his decision to retire this summer.

Rodgers also confirmed that Martin Kelly had signed a new deal, and given the fact his preferred position is centre-back, perhaps Liverpool already have a ready-made replacement for Carra when he goes in the summer.

Liverpool's manager also confirmed that he'd like Carra to stay on at the club in some capacity, an idea shared by Reds legend Jan Molny, who believes the defender has what it takes to become a top manager in the game. He told the Liverpool Echo:

"IF ever there was a player who was going to be a manager, it was Jamie Carragher. For me, Carragher has all the attributes you need to be a manager. He has a real love for the game and a real knowledge of it too, and because of the type of players he has played with at Anfield he would be able to work with all different sorts of players"



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46 comments:

  1. I think it is pretty clear he wanted to retire, but did one more year, so chances are he was going to retire anyway. I`m not into this theory that BR somehow has made him retire by not playing him enough. Evidence shows he was going to, until BR asked him to do one more season. Which he has done. All a bit red herrings for me right now. 

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  2. You think Carragher would still retire if was a regular in the team? I doubt it.

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  3. i think he needs to stay on as a coach after retiring to help our defense 

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  4. I think this goes to further exemplify the type of person that Carra is.

    Granted he's picking up a paycheck, but he could have easily left instead of having to deal with a new manager who was replacing King Kenny. And he did his best to help that manager adjust in his first season.

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  5. DO 1 CARRA OVERRATED SCOUSE TWAT WHOSE A TOFFEE AT HEART SUNDAY LEAGUE PLAYER AT BEST #ANY1CANGETIT

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  6. Rodgers might yet talk him into staying on for another year. We should make him take up a coaching post so he at least keeps fit in case we have to recall him to the squad should need be next season.
    Carra as a (or our) manager? I'm not so sure about this one to be honest. He surely has the heart, commitment and determination required, but does he have the other skills like man management and so on?

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  7. The love for the game, the desire to play football. That's why someone would postpone retirement. I play at a much, much lower level, but postponed my retirement time and again. I want to play on as long as I can walk.

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  8. I think only if he was playing well as a regular, he would have not retired. I think he is one of those players that would retire if they felt they weren't good enough on a regular basis. So I think its more than just about playing regularly but playing regularly WELL, i.e. contributing to a high enough level on a regular basis. From the outside looking in, Carra comes across as that sort of character who can judge himself and his usefulness brutally. Wouldn't surprise me also if he thought 'tactically, I don't think I'd be able to contribute regularly to good enough standard for this new system, due to the stage I'm at in my career'. Merely speculating but that is how he comes across to me. Its a big ask, a defender of his type to play in a high line short passing system, at his stage in his career .

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  9. He saw next season's away kit and it was sufficient to convince him.

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  10. Even the third kit is horrendous, if the leaked pictures are the real deal.

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  11. Good points. Though, why would someone with love and desire for the game want to quit at 34 anyway? 

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  12. Maybe because they may think they aren't good enough anymore and out of self-respect and respect for the game/club, they'd rather retire.

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  13. Oh my. Have seen some pics, too, and think they are the worst 2nd and 3rd kit ever. Someone described them as looking as if a Commodore C 64 screen froze, another as if a truck ran over one of those kits. Hope that either those pics were fake or, if they weren't, Warrior have a look at the reaction to those drafts.

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  14. Haha, like that Commodore bit (Can't remember which Amiga model I had but Pang & James Pond were awesome!) and its true! They are absolutely horrid, the 2nd and 3rd kit. Hope Warrior do a focus group or a survey at least...surely, that goes without saying?!

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  15. Lets hope we get 4th place and Carra signs a new deal???, here's hoping!!

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  16. For a professional footballer to postpone retirement could mean that he'd have to drop down a league or two. I'm not saying that Carra would have to right now, but you lose some pace with age, the body tells you that you can't keep up with those youngsters and stuff like that. I personally have had a second lease of life so to speak when I somehow had to deal with opponents about half my age, but at a lower level one can change his game in a different way. Instead of chasing every ball you start reading the game in a better way. That's difficult if you play at the very top where you have to learn how to read the game in order to play in the first place. Most professional footballers could carry on playing until they drop dead, but surely not in the Prem. Not everyone is willing to do that. They probs want to be remembered as a professional playing in the Prem and for their national team who retired at 35 rather than adding another 200 games in the Conference.

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  17. If those kits are the real deal, we're in real trouble! Just had another look and threw up in my own mouth!!!

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  18. Rodgers will have a hard job finding a replacement for Carragher, an organiser, a leader, great reader of the game and somebody who will put his body on the line for the Liverpool cause. Their aren't that many players of his ilk out there any more. If Coates leaves too that'll mean that we're short of two Cb's. I would like us to try and get Sahko and then maybe give Kelly, Wisdom or Sama a go as the fourth choice defender. It will save us some money and give a chance to one of those young lads. I do hope Rodgers isn't seriously thinking about the guy from Bilboa. I think that guy would be a liability in the premier league.

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  19. thx carra hopefuuly to be manager of lfc one day u're great legend

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  20. because maybe he was asked too, told we needed him as cover for another year, and being the legend he is, decided to. 

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  21. C64 was my first ever comp, then upgraded to the Amiga 500, then the 1200. Man getting that 1200 seemed like I had just been given the controls to the starship enterprise. Warrior were a bit sus on last seasons third kit too. 

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  22. Maybe. just maybe... he is not happy with whatever direction the club is going in under the present regime....

    Can't say i blame him either (if that is the case), must have been heart wrenching to see Kenny de throned by FSG....

    Lets not forget that players like Carra and Gerrard would have been absolutely gutted to lose a manager of that stature at this Club in the manner of it all etc.......

    Of course its just a second guess, but seeing as everyone else is at it i thought i'd throw my 2 cents in there as well...

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  23. got a text today and sent it on to all the bitters and they all bit ha ha >everton fc have won 15 major honours since 1878 .jamie carragher has managed 12 since 1997 . thats why rafa called u a small club FACT . been called everything from a pig to a donkey but the truth hurts ha ha!!!

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  24. yeah, sure.. that's why he played some very good games lately, and that's why Gerrard seems to be in the best form since Rafa Benitez.. because they're not happy with the "direction the club is going".. tz tz tz

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  25. the lever your at is lower than a snakes balls

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  26. with out being a party pooper its not like they dont get paid

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  27. What has a lever to do with snakes balls? I don't understand what you are saying.

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  28. It is testament to the man's character that he will continue to perform as best he can....whether he is staying or not....can't say that about certain other players present and in the past, players who start moaning and bitching about things etc........whilst their form dips and they look disinterested or pissed off.......

    Fact of the matter is that "we" can only second guess why Carra is leaving the Club....everyone seems to have their own spin on the why's and wherefore's an all that, goes to show what respect the man has for the Club.....

    True legend material is Carra, make no mistake about it and im sure all will be revealed at some point, but for now he is being a top Pro & i for one will be very gutted to see him go....esp if he declines a role within the Club IF offered one..

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  29. i think BR should again persuade Carra to stay. He's the best defence that LFC can rely. Just look at how Fergie persuade Scholes to come out from retirement

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  30. Perhaps the fact that he agreed to stay on and then spent his time sitting on the bench watching the accident waiting to happen, and frequently doing so (Skrtel) getting a regular place ahead of him until recently has something to do with it

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  31. Good points. Being a one club man and not dropping down the leagues would be huge factors IMO. 

    Also when Gerrard is no longer a guaranteed starter he will also retire. Carragher has made reference to it before. 

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  32. Yep, Gerrard will probably also retire as a one club man, though I also admire players who continue playing for the love of the game, like e.g. Sheringham who has still played professionally in his 40s.

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  33. Interesting how many middle-aged people are on here.

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  34. Starship Enterprise? You talking about our current away kit? If Shelvey wore the long sleeved version, he'd be Jean Luc Picard!

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  35. haha, Briliant, funniest post ive read in a while. 

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  36. Easy on the middle aged stuff, I`m 32, which I prefer to think of as still under middle aged, otherwise you are giving me a life span of 64 years. ;-)

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  37. I think I had the Amiga 500 but not sure which i got first, that or the Master System. Amazing though, looking back now......floppy disks!

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  38. We didn't get it when it first came out me thinks but I think I had the Amiga 500, although not sure if I had that first or the Master System. Looking back now, amazing.....floppy disks!

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  39.  http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h477/intermania71/balo.gif
    If you were a ref, would you have showed to the penalty spot?

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  40. I think part of it may have been he didn't want to hurt the team if he were to play and not perform up to standard. Recently he has been immense and is definitely not short of quality but its a possibility that he himself doesn't feel up to it anymore and doesnt want to risk hurting the performances of Liverpool.

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  41. Yes, this may well be part of his decision.

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  42. Then you probably started with computers at a pretty young age. When did the C64 come out? Mid-eighties?

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  43. By the way, question of definition, the middle age thing. 0-30 young age, 31-60 middle age, 61-90 old? Just a suggestion :-)

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  44. dunno, C64 was when I was about 9/10 I think, cant really remember tho to be honest

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  45. but the c64 you could copy tapes via your tape deck. Although I do remember copying games on the floppy disk too after formatting the disks etc

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