Liverpool Ready To Celebrate Carra Day

Liverpool defender Jamie
Carragher has been speaking
ahead of his testimonial match
against an Everton XI at Anfield
on Saturday.
The Reds stalwart is in his 15th
season at the club and all
proceeds from the match will go
to the 23 Foundation.
Carragher, 32, is expected to
agree a new two-year contract
extension soon and admits his
character and dedication to the
game has allowed him to play for
a club the size of Liverpool for so
long – 634 appearances and
counting. “To play for Liverpool I
probably needed to add
something and I think my
dedication, desire and
commitment has made me play
at the level I’ve played,” says the
Bootle born defender.
While the testimonial doesn’t
signal the end of his playing
career, Carra has been asked to
pinpoint his highlight and
lowlights of his career so far.
“The obvious highlight is
Istanbul in 2005,” he said. “But I
think my first full league game
when I scored against Aston Villa
[was significant] because
without that who knows what I
would have achieved?”
Asked to pick a low point he
said: “There have been plenty of
those – the more you play the
more bad ones you have. I
remember losing 3-0 to Everton
and having a nightmare, I didn’t
sleep for a week afterwards!”
The match will see former
Liverpool striker Michael Owen,
now at Man United, wearing a
Reds shirt again and Carragher
has urged supporters not to give
the player a tough time. “He left
in difficult circumstances, but
when he went to Manchester
United, his career was on a bit of
a downward spiral and he’ll
admit that himself.”
“I think he deserves a great one
[reception] for what he did for
Liverpool,” Carragher said. “He
was a fantastic player, right up
there with the greats for what he
did.”
Along with Owen, a host of
former Liverpool players will be
turning out, including defenders
Steve Finnan and Stephen
Warnock, Istanbul hero Jerzy
Dudek, midfielder Danny Murphy,
striker Emile Heskey and
Carragher is also hoping Luis
Garcia can make the match.
Fans are urged to get to Anfield
early for the pre-match build-up
that begins from 12:30.