Liverpool FC will be saying farewell to one if its greatest players this week. Jamie Carragher is ending his career as a defender which started with the team in 1997. He has been a brilliant player and has played in more than 760 games in his illustrious career.
At age 35, he decided that he wanted to leave the sport at a good point in his career.
One issue that many professional athletes face is that they overstay their welcome. Some players play even when their bodies are too worn out which makes them ineffective on their teams. Carragher wanted to avoid this situation.
This year marks the retirements of several big names in the sport including Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. The sport of professional soccer is changing. The more established players are moving on with their lives and a new crop of top athletes are trying to earn the same notable status.
Many people view Carragher as a legend and his absence will be felt by the football club.
Liverpool has had its bumps this year. Suarez received a ten game suspension for attempting to bite another player during a match. The team also was unable to win a Barclays Premier League title but Carragher has won two FA Cups and a Champion’s League Final in 2005, which is a career highlight for him.
He had more than 670 appearances in the Premier League and has earned a lot of respect from notable names in the sport for his efforts. Number 23 will be saying goodbye but it is not farewell for his fans as he plans to become a pundit.
His status as a footballer and his leadership and knowledge of the sport will help him. He gives everything he does 100% of his effort and will be remembered by fans for decades to come.