Jamie Carragher has shrugged off his ‘veteran’ tag by insisting that he has no plans to retire any time soon.
The Liverpool defender is a Premier League stalwart with over 650 appearances to his name.
Such a record, coupled with his 33 years of age, have led some to suggest that he could be approaching the twilight of his career.
Carragher, though, is adamant that he can compete at the top level for some time yet, with stepping aside something he is not prepared to consider until at least 2013.
“I want to play for Liverpool as long as I can,” the former England international told the Liverpool Echo.
“I picked up some of the papers after the Chelsea game and each one said ‘veteran Carragher’.
“It made me think to myself: ‘God, I mustn’t have too long left’.
“I know that at a minimum I have two-and-a-half years, and that time will fly.”
Aggression
Carragher’s aim this season is to help Liverpool cement a top-six standing in the Premier League and secure European qualification for next season.
One man set to aid that cause over the coming weeks is record signing Andy Carroll, with the £35million striker closing on full fitness and an eagerly-anticipated debut.
On the threat Carroll will pose, Carragher said: “We’ve had big tall lads, people like [Emile] Heskey or [Peter] Crouch who have done very well for us.
“But Carroll has that aggression that makes defenders fear him. He seems like a good lad, someone who’ll fit in.
“As a defender you know when you go into certain games against particular players that you’re going to have a hard day.
“There aren’t too many of them but I know few people will relish playing against Andy. You wake up in the morning and think, ‘Ah God, I don’t want to play against him’.
“Everyone who has faced him probably thinks, ‘I don’t need this today’.”
