Seven years ago today, thousands gathered inside a packed Anfield stadium to witness the swansong of a true Liverpool great in Jamie Carragher. He received a fitting send-off as Liverpool triumphed to victory, ending what had been a turbulent season under Brendan Rodgers after The Reds had suffered another season without top-four placement in the 2012/13 season.
A rebuild was needed and a rebuild without ageing players such as Carragher. So, with Anfield watching on in anticipation, Liverpool knew they had to give the Liverpool icon just one more victory.
On This Day In 2013: Jamie Carragher and his Final Liverpool Appearance
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The Reds went on to defeat Queens Park Rangers by one goal to nil via a Philippe Coutinho strike. And, whilst the game itself wasn’t exactly a classic, Anfield did pay witness to one of the best strikes to not find the back of the net from the retiree himself.
Jamie Carragher built up somewhat of a reputation throughout his career for his goalscoring nature, but at the wrong end. In total, he managed to score seven own goals; only Richard Dunne has scored more in Premier League history.
At the other end, he wasn’t as clinical, scoring just the five goals. So, you can imagine Anfield’s surprise when the number 23 lined one up from 40 yards in his final game. The defender now turned pundit clearly wanted to go out with a bang and but for the post, he certainly would have.
The strike rocketed towards the Kop end goal in Steven Gerrard like fashion only to hammer off the post and back into play. For a brief moment, Carragher transformed into his fellow scouser to reveal Anfield’s best-kept secret of his rocket of a right foot. It was so close to the perfect farewell for Carragher who bowed out with one final win and a shot that permanently dented the post of the Kop end goal.
It was a career to remember and almost an unforgettable goodbye. And with a Champions League medal sitting at home, he will forever be apart of Liverpool’s illustrious history, having surpassed 700 appearances for the Reds.
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