'I was hoping it would be Jamie'
Ian Callaghan was secretly hoping his record of 857 Liverpool appearances would be surpassed by fellow local lad Jamie Carragher.
Callaghan, who was born in Toxteth, was recruited by Bill Shankly as a 15-year-old and remained at the club until he was 38.
During that time he set the record for games played in a red shirt, and he insists he would have been pleased to see Carragher, who will play his 737th against QPR tomorrow, go one better.
"I always feel as though records are there to be broken," he told LFC TV's new 'Carragher' documentary. "I'm very proud of the record that I have.
"Just think of all the great players who have played for Liverpool and I feel proud to know I hold that particluar record.
"But if anybody was going to beat the record, I would have loved it to be Jamie because he's a Liverpool lad.
"He's a great player and the enthusiasm he has shown for 16 years for the game at Liverpool is just phenomenal.
"If the record was going to be broken, I was hoping it was going to be Jamie. It will be down to Steve now!"
Callaghan joined the Reds as an apprentice in 1960 and made his senior debut after just four outings for the reserves.
If that wasn't daunting enough, he also faced the added pressure of replacing Liverpool idol Billy Liddell.
However, after a career that saw him scoop almost every available honour, some 18 years later the self-effacing Callaghan walked out of the Anfield dressing room for the final time.
"You come straight from school and it forms your life really," said Callaghan.
"You get married, you have a family and you're doing all this while you're playing football. You look back on it and think, what a massive part of your life it has been.
"I look back now and think from the age of 15 to 38, it was my life. The person I am today was formed throughout that period.
"Jamie will look back and he'll think to himself: 'Wow, what a fantastic part of my life that was. It made me what I am today'.
"You come in at 15 [Carra arrived when he was nine] and you learn discipline, how to conduct yourself on and off the field.
"When you do actually retire, it's the day-to-day routine that you miss. It's the camaraderie, the players, the training, the travelling.
"You come away from it and you don't half miss it.
"I got out the game altogether, but Jamie will be a pundit on the television, so he's still going to be involved in the game. He will certainly miss playing and the day-to-day routine."
Carragher confirmed last month that Sky Sports will be his destination after he hangs up his playing boots once and for all against QPR on Sunday.
And while it won't quite be blood-and-thunder tackles that viewers will be treated to, Cally insists Carra's insights and opinions will be almost as entertaining as his on-field performances.
"I'm looking forward to watching him, because he's a very knowledgeable guy," he continued. "They reckon he's a stat man - he knows all the stats.
"I've watched him on tele before and he comes across as a very honest guy. I think he'll take to it unbelievably well and people will look forward to watching him and they'll look forward to hearing his opinion."
Callaghan's phenomonal Liverpool achievements and his honest, humble nature mean he's perfectly-placed to judge Carragher the person and player.
"I've met Jamie on quite a few occasions," he said. "He agreed to do a piece for my book two years ago, so I went down to Melwood and I met him.
"He's just a nice guy. It's always been a pleasure meeting him.
"I've enjoyed watching his career. Apart from being a great player, he's a fantastic organiser on the field and Liverpool will miss him, because you watch Jamie play and he makes other players around him play.
"You've got to be very, very fit today and you've got to be organised in the positions you take up. This is where Jamie is so good. He gets other people to come into positions and he is a born organiser.
"He's up there [with the best]. You don't play for 16 years and play the game as he's played and not be a legend.
"Liverpool have been blessed over the years with a lot of great players and Jamie is up there with them all. Without a doubt."
A new documentary featuring Carragher's managers, teammates and some high-profile opponents airs for the first time at 7pm BST on Friday, May 24 on LFC TV.
