Jamie Carragher defends himself as ridiculous Liverpool criticism goes too far

Now renowned for his punditry and opinions on Liverpool, it's easy to forget the stellar career Carragher had for nearly two decades at Anfield, something he has discussed on social media

Jamie Carragher has defended his playing career in a social media post(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))

Jamie Carragher has defended his playing career, claiming he does not overhype his achievements.

The ex-Liverpool defender spent 17 years at Anfield and made 737 appearances for the club. He won every major trophy apart from the Premier League, a trophy that eluded the Reds for 30 years.

Carragher also played a starring role in Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph and earned 38 caps for England in an era that included top-tier center-backs Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Ledley King. Indeed, the sterling company Carragher kept and his storied punditry career mean his accomplishments as a player are often overlooked.

That has become a major talking point on social media in recent days, with claims Carragher was an “average” player who was “overrated by local fans.” One fan pointed to his solitary inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year during his career.

Carragher responded on X, writing: “I don’t blow my own trumpet as it’s not my style or the style for people from the city of Liverpool, but we are allowed to defend ourselves!

“There has only been three CB’s from LFC to make the PFA TOTY in the PL era, VVD, Sami & me!!

"The year was 2005/6 when the PL CB’s were Rio, Vidic, Terry, Carvalho, Campbell, King... I’m very proud of the fact I was a loud leader who pushed his teammates to be better."

Only Ian Callaghan has made more appearances for Liverpool than Carragher, and Steven Gerrard, arguably the club’s greatest-ever player, has always highlighted his former deputy’s impact on Liverpool’s success.

“My favorite player would always have to be Carra,” the ex-skipper told the Liverpool Echo when he retired in 2016.

“I always felt more secure, I felt more invincible being in front of him because I always knew what I had behind me. I knew I had a leader and, well, a mouth.

Steven Gerrard said he felt more secure when Carragher was on the pitch with him(Image: Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“Everybody knows I'm not someone who shouts much on the field. As a captain, I was more of a one-to-one speaker and more one to talk at the right time.

“Carra, though, did love a good shout. And I always felt better when he was behind me, I felt we had a better chance of success.”

Today, Carragher is better known for his opinions on Liverpool, which typically pique supporters' interest. He has recently been outspoken about Mohamed Salah's future and feels the outgoing Liverpool winger should remain in Europe next season.