Jamie Carragher plays down mentor role

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has insisted that he doesn't intentionally try to set an example for younger players at the club.

A number of Liverpool youngsters have hailed Carragher as one of the biggest influences on their careers, 19-year-old Andre Wisdom being the most recent one.

However, the 35-year-old admits that he has never really thought about trying to set an example in training, and that any example he does set is just the way he is naturally.

"It's not something I've ever really thought about in my own mind. It's just the way I am," said Carragher.

"I would never do something for effect or to impress somebody. I'm just fortunate that's the way I am. I couldn't be any different. It's not like I go into training some days and think, 'You know what, I'm going to have a go today.' I'm just quite competitive.

"If we have a five-a-side game or a game of possession at the end, I want to win. I was like that as a kid and I think if I played on for another four or five years, I'd be the same."

Carragher has already expressed his intention to retire from football at the end of the current season after a 17-year career with the Reds.