United greats inspire Carra

Carragher: Would stay in football

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Jamie Carragher hopes to finish his career with Liverpool - and he looks to Manchester United's old guard for inspiration.

The 32-year-old defender is preparing for his testimonial against an Everton XI at Anfield on Saturday, with negotiations over a new contract progressing.

Liverpool has been Carragher's only club and although he admits he may have to move on if his performance dips before his planned retirement, he hopes to remain a one-club man like United greats Ryan Giggs, 36, and Paul Scholes, 35.

Giggs was the 2009 PFA Player of the Year and his recent goal maintained his record as the only player to have scored in all 19 Premier League campaigns, while there have been calls for Scholes to come out of international retirement.

And Carragher also hopes to maintain the standards he has set during a 14-year career which has seen him claim every club honour but a league title.

"I've always had it in my head that you finish football at 35 but I think the way people look after themselves you could maybe get another year out of it," he said.

Inspiration

"Some of the Manchester United lads give you inspiration to keep going.

"I want to play football until I'm about 35 or 36 but if the end was before that I'd obviously have to go somewhere else and do something else - I wouldn't just stop playing football.

"If Liverpool said at 34 my time was up I'd probably have to go and do something for a couple of years. But I don't think I would want to step down a level (to the Championship). Hopefully it won't have to come to that.

"As long as the manager keeps picking me, I'll keep doing what I always do - train hard and make it difficult for him not to pick me.

"A time like this is a time to look back to see what you have achieved but I want to keep playing.

"Obviously there will be a day in the future when that stops happening, I'm aware of that, but hopefully people don't think it is the end."

Carragher is a keen student of the game and has long been touted for a place among Liverpool's backroom staff when he finally hangs up his boots.

Family man

But he is unsure whether a career as a top-level manager would be for him.

"I think I would find it very hard not to have football in my life," he said. "If I go down that road I might be coaching, scouting...I don't know.

"I look at the managers now and they move about a lot. They are in the job for a couple of years and then move somewhere around the world and I don't know if I would do that to my kids and the family.

"Here would be great. But Liverpool always have top managers and you would have to earn your stripes."

All proceeds from Saturday's game and evening gala dinner will go to Carragher's 23 Foundation, which supports local charities and groups.