James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher (born 28 January 1978 in Bootle, Merseyside) is a central defender/right-back playing his club football at Liverpool where he is the current vice-captain.
One of the longest-serving players of the club, Carragher has made his 500th appearance for Liverpool on 15 January 2008 in all competitions, in the home FA cup fixture against Luton Town. He was made captain for this match. He is now settled in the heart of the defence under Rafael Benitez though previous manager Gérard Houllier preferred to use him as a full-back.
As a youth, Carragher attended the former FA school of excellence in Lilleshall and was a member of Liverpool's FA Youth Cup winning team in 1996 along with his friend Michael Owen. He signed a professional contract in October 1996 and then made his first team debut under Roy Evans' management three months later in the second leg of the Coca Cola Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, coming on as a substitute for Rob Jones. Next came his Premiership debut, again coming on as a substitute, against West Ham. He then started the next game against Aston Villa and marked the occasion with his first goal (a header in front of the Kop) in a 3-0 win to temporarily take the side to the top of the table, before finishing runner-up to Manchester United. In the 1997–98 season, Carragher broke into the first team, making twenty Premier League appearances. The following season he cemented his place in the first-team squad, missing just four league games all season, and Kevin Keegan awarded him his first full international cap.
The 2004–05 season was a career defining one for Carragher. New manager Rafael Benítez moved him to centre-half where he managed 56 appearances alongside Sami Hyypiä. Carragher shrugged off the utility tag and established himself as a centre half. Carragher developed a reputation as a strong and positionally astute defender. His partnership with Hyypia was central in Liverpool's 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League victory. One of the most memorable moments of the match was when Carragher made two vital last ditch intercept into extra time whilst suffering from cramp.[citation needed] Carragher was voted as Liverpool's player of the year at the end of the campaign. He later went on to captain the team in their 2005 UEFA Super Cup victory over CSKA Moscow.
On 13 May 2006, Carragher played in the FA Cup final against West Ham. It was his tenth final in as many years of club football. He scored an own goal in the 21st minute, but Liverpool went on to win 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 after extra-time.
On 9 December 2006, Carragher scored his first league goal since January 1999, in a match against Fulham at Anfield. His central defence partner Agger flicked the ball on from a corner, and Carragher slid the ball under Fulham keeper Jan Lastuvka at the far post. The goal was only his fourth in his Liverpool career.
In Liverpool's Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea on 1 May 2007, Carragher set a record for the most appearances in European competition for the club. His 90th European match took him past Ian Callaghan's 89 matches between 1964 and 1978. Carragher was voted as Liverpool's Player of the Year for the 2006–07 season by the fans and soon after extended his contract till 2011. That season also saw Carragher's international retirement, with the defender citing frustration with a lack of appearances under Steve McClaren.
The 2007–08 season saw Carragher reach his 500th appearance for Liverpool. He currently stands at number 11 in the all time Liverpool appearances table in all competitions.