Tuesday, 21st May, 2013
England manager Roy Hodgson believes "without a shadow of a doubt" that outgoing Liverpool midfielder Jamie Carragher has a future in football management.
Carragher’s 737th game of a nearly 17-year career at Liverpool came in Sunday’s 1-0 win over QPR, with the former England man given a guard of honour by both sets of players prior to the game.
The icing on the cake would have been a spectacular goal from Carragher, as he volleyed past Rob Green in the QPR goal only for the post to deny him a 30-yard scorcher.
As the curtain comes down on Carragher’s playing career, another is seemingly taking shape, with Sky Sports having signed him up as a pundit to sit alongside former England team-mate Gary Neville.
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However, Hodgson, who never got the chance to manage Carragher in the England set-up, believes coaching would be a better outlet.
The England boss told LFC TV: "Without a shadow of a doubt he’s a potential manager or a coach.
"You can understand him saying, ‘I don’t need that risk. I’ll go into television or punditry’. But for me personally, I’d like to see Jamie go into football coaching.
"I think he would be a very good football coach, especially if he doesn’t expect everyone to be as professional in their approach as he is himself!"
Hodgson did reserve special praise for Carragher, who came through the England youth ranks to rake in 38 international caps, and whose club career includes a remarkable Champions League triumph against AC Milan in 2005.
"I think playing more than 700 games for one club is not something we’ll see too often in the future. He’s really shown himself to be the consummate professional and a consummate Liverpool player.
"Him and Steven Gerrard encapsulate the spirit of Liverpool Football Club and what Liverpool Football Club means to the people of Liverpool.
"If there is a spirit of [former manager Bill] Shankly and a spirit of Liverpool then it is in Jamie Carragher and his good friend Steven Gerrard."
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