Jamie Carragher: why I said no to my country for second time
Tony Barrett
Jamie Carragher has told The Times that he turned down an invitation from Fabio Capello to reconsider his decision to retire from international football.
In an exclusive interview to mark the defender’s imminent 600th appearance for Liverpool, Carragher also spoke of his desire to win a new Anfield contract.
He admitted, though, that he may have to leave his only club and believes that Liverpool must invest during the January transfer window or risk being replaced in the “big four†by big-spending Manchester City.
Carragher, who has 34 England caps, retired from international duty in the summer of 2007, but Capello, the England manager, made an approach to bring him back into the fold and even went as far as asking Franco Baldini, his assistant, to hold a meeting with the centre back. Carragher politely declined.
Carragher insists that he has no regrets over his decision, which he believes will help to extend his club career, even though he expects England to be one of the main contenders to lift the World Cup in South Africa.
“I was supposed to meet Franco Baldini for a chat a year ago and at the last minute I pulled out,†Carragher said. “It was more out of courtesy that I was going to do it. Stevie [Gerrard, the Liverpool captain] had mentioned it to me a couple of times, so I agreed to the meeting, but at the last minute I just didn’t want to do it.
“I don’t think my situation would change if I got back in the squad. John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are first choice and they are two of the best central defenders in the world.
“Maybe I would have won ten more caps over the last couple of years because Rio and John have missed a few games, but you couldn’t ask for a better centre-half pairing than those two going into the World Cup.â€
Carragher, 31, expects England to be one of the main contenders next summer. “I think England have got a great chance,†he said. “I suppose if they went on and won it, people would say, ‘What a mistake that was.’ But who’s to say Capello would pick me in the squad? You can’t look back, you can only do what’s right for you at the time and for the future. If they do well, they do well.â€
Carragher has 18 months remaining on his Liverpool contract and is yet to be offered a new deal, but he denied reports that he is pushing for talks. Of greater concern is the need for Liverpool to re-establish themselves in the Barclays Premier League’s top four.
“I read that and it made out I was begging the club for a contract and that’s certainly not the case,†he said.
“The club haven’t mentioned anything to me but they’re under no obligation to and I certainly don’t want anyone making a big deal out of it and trying to drive a wedge between me and the club over a contract.
“I’ve been there since I was 9 and there’s no problem whatsoever. The club have got a lot to sort out on and off the pitch, least of all me. I’ve still got 18 months, which is a long time in football, so God knows what will happen in that time.
“The one worry I’ve got is that before when we never finished fourth it wasn’t such a massive deal because the clubs who finished above us — Leeds, Newcastle and one year Everton — without being disrespectful to them, we always felt that we would come back the following season and finish above them.
“But this season with Man City, with the money they’ve got, if they finish in the top four above us that would have to be a bg worry ... if they get in the top four, and eventually it will happen with their financial backing, they will take some shifting.â€
Tony Barrett
Jamie Carragher has told The Times that he turned down an invitation from Fabio Capello to reconsider his decision to retire from international football.
In an exclusive interview to mark the defender’s imminent 600th appearance for Liverpool, Carragher also spoke of his desire to win a new Anfield contract.
He admitted, though, that he may have to leave his only club and believes that Liverpool must invest during the January transfer window or risk being replaced in the “big four†by big-spending Manchester City.
Carragher, who has 34 England caps, retired from international duty in the summer of 2007, but Capello, the England manager, made an approach to bring him back into the fold and even went as far as asking Franco Baldini, his assistant, to hold a meeting with the centre back. Carragher politely declined.
Carragher insists that he has no regrets over his decision, which he believes will help to extend his club career, even though he expects England to be one of the main contenders to lift the World Cup in South Africa.
“I was supposed to meet Franco Baldini for a chat a year ago and at the last minute I pulled out,†Carragher said. “It was more out of courtesy that I was going to do it. Stevie [Gerrard, the Liverpool captain] had mentioned it to me a couple of times, so I agreed to the meeting, but at the last minute I just didn’t want to do it.
“I don’t think my situation would change if I got back in the squad. John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are first choice and they are two of the best central defenders in the world.
“Maybe I would have won ten more caps over the last couple of years because Rio and John have missed a few games, but you couldn’t ask for a better centre-half pairing than those two going into the World Cup.â€
Carragher, 31, expects England to be one of the main contenders next summer. “I think England have got a great chance,†he said. “I suppose if they went on and won it, people would say, ‘What a mistake that was.’ But who’s to say Capello would pick me in the squad? You can’t look back, you can only do what’s right for you at the time and for the future. If they do well, they do well.â€
Carragher has 18 months remaining on his Liverpool contract and is yet to be offered a new deal, but he denied reports that he is pushing for talks. Of greater concern is the need for Liverpool to re-establish themselves in the Barclays Premier League’s top four.
“I read that and it made out I was begging the club for a contract and that’s certainly not the case,†he said.
“The club haven’t mentioned anything to me but they’re under no obligation to and I certainly don’t want anyone making a big deal out of it and trying to drive a wedge between me and the club over a contract.
“I’ve been there since I was 9 and there’s no problem whatsoever. The club have got a lot to sort out on and off the pitch, least of all me. I’ve still got 18 months, which is a long time in football, so God knows what will happen in that time.
“The one worry I’ve got is that before when we never finished fourth it wasn’t such a massive deal because the clubs who finished above us — Leeds, Newcastle and one year Everton — without being disrespectful to them, we always felt that we would come back the following season and finish above them.
“But this season with Man City, with the money they’ve got, if they finish in the top four above us that would have to be a bg worry ... if they get in the top four, and eventually it will happen with their financial backing, they will take some shifting.â€
