Former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher admits that the club's current title challenge is making him regret hanging up his boots.
The Reds have not won the Premier League title for more than 20 years and have struggled to keep in touch with Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea in recent campaigns.
They came closest in 2009 when Rafa Benítez's Liverpool finished four points behind United, but this season the Merseyside outfit are forcing the issue at the top of the table.
Carragher is enjoying his move into punditry but says that if he knew Liverpool would be in the battle for the Premier League title he would not have quit.
He wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: "(Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers) asked me whether I would consider postponing retiring for another season.
"Again, my answer was 'no'. I was set in my ways, content with the decision I had reached.
"Only one thing could have changed my mind. It wasn't the prospect of more appearances; it had nothing to do with another contract or anything like that.
"If I felt Liverpool were going to compete for the one honour that had eluded me - the Barclays Premier League - I would have said 'yes' in a flash.
"At that time, I could only see Liverpool challenging for a top-four place. If I had been able to see into the future, I would now be preparing for tomorrow's showdown with Chelsea.
"Make no mistake, Liverpool are title contenders. They might be outsiders in the group that contains Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, but there should not be any doubts about my old club's potential to go the distance."
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| Jamie Carragher applauded the fans on in his last game for Liverpool last season Photo: Getty Images |
The Reds have not won the Premier League title for more than 20 years and have struggled to keep in touch with Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea in recent campaigns.
They came closest in 2009 when Rafa Benítez's Liverpool finished four points behind United, but this season the Merseyside outfit are forcing the issue at the top of the table.
Carragher is enjoying his move into punditry but says that if he knew Liverpool would be in the battle for the Premier League title he would not have quit.
He wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: "(Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers) asked me whether I would consider postponing retiring for another season.
"Again, my answer was 'no'. I was set in my ways, content with the decision I had reached.
"Only one thing could have changed my mind. It wasn't the prospect of more appearances; it had nothing to do with another contract or anything like that.
"If I felt Liverpool were going to compete for the one honour that had eluded me - the Barclays Premier League - I would have said 'yes' in a flash.
"At that time, I could only see Liverpool challenging for a top-four place. If I had been able to see into the future, I would now be preparing for tomorrow's showdown with Chelsea.
"Make no mistake, Liverpool are title contenders. They might be outsiders in the group that contains Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, but there should not be any doubts about my old club's potential to go the distance."
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Also see:
- Liverpool ditched Andy Carroll to get best out of Luis Suárez
- Luis Suárez scores four times vs Norwich to make Premier League history
- Steven Gerrard wants Premier League title before he retires
- Caption This: Jamie Carragher & his awful multi-coloured shorts
- Jamie Carragher: I'd be Liverpool's Ryan Giggs
