“A line had to be drawn. No one was going to take the p*** out of me like that” – Jamie Carragher recalls how he reacted to ex-Liverpool teammate openly laughed at him during training
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed how furious he was when his former teammate laughed at him for being called up to the England squad.
Carragher earned his first international in April 1999 during a clash against Hungary and would go on to earn 38 England caps and play in two World Cups.
But the former Liverpool defender has revealed that his then-Reds teammate Rigobert Song laughed at him following his initial call-up.
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Carragher told The Telegraph how he exacted revenge in training, as he stated:
“Ask the ex-Liverpool defender and current Cameroon coach Rigobert Song. On the day I was called up to the England squad for the first time he openly laughed at me with some teammates."
He continued:
“Twenty minutes later we were training and I approached the session like it was the Merseyside derby, the usual rules of no strong tackling abandoned as I relished every opportunity to demonstrate my competitiveness, especially when Song was nearby.
Carragher added:
“A line had to be drawn. No-one was going to take the p--- out of me like that."
He concluded:
“Judge my attitude all you wish, but there are moments in your career when you have to look after yourself, protect your reputation and fight back, because the sport is brutal and once anyone smells blood - fans, teammates or coaches - they will finish you.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher defends England boss Gareth Southgate
The Three Lions have now gone six games without a win heading into the FIFA World Cup in less than two months' time.
But Carragher was quick to leap to Southgate's defense as he attempted to remind fans of how far they've come since the former England defender took over six years ago.
The Liverpool icon wrote on Twitter:
"You would think England had won numerous tournaments considering the stick Southgate is getting! It had been s***e for years before he got the job. Big Sam had the job before him!!"
"One or two players at the most from this current team would get into the 2002/06 team and the same with 1996/98"
Do you agree with Jamie Carragher, how many players from England's current starting XI would make it into the early 00's/ late 90's sides?
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After Sam Allardyce was sacked from the job after just one game due to revelations surrounding his personal life, Southgate took over.
He led the Three Lions to their first World Cup semi-final in 2018 and to their first major final for 55 years in 2021.
But after suffering relegation from the Nations League A, many have begun to question if he is the right man to take his nation forward.