[lfc-news] Carra winner would be most fitting finale - Echo

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Liverpool Echo, 23 May 2005
Carra winner would be most fitting finale

WHEN Harry Hodges retired as a Liverpool scout after 30 years service,
the letter of gratitude from the club acknowledging his contribution was
notoriously absent.

Should the priceless talent he recruited inspire a famous victory in
Istanbul, Anfield officials should be queuing outside Harry's house in
Bootle to remedy this oversight.

Jamie Carragher was a 12-year-old striker when Harry identified his
potential, led him to Melwood and delivered one of the club's great-est
ever servants.

Since then, the 79-year-old has looked on with pride as Carragher has
developed into the modern embodiment of everything the club should
represent.

When Carragher takes centre stage to mark the formidable Andriy
Shevchenko on Wednesday, Harry says the qualities he spotted in the
child from St James' Primary School will again come to the fore.

"One of the first things I noticed was nothing can faze Jamie, no matter
how big the challenge," says Harry, who ended his scouting career a year
ago.

"He's always been someone who just loves going out there and playing his
football. When Jamie walks out for the European Cup Final, it won't
bother him. Put him against the best player in the world, and it brings
the best out of him.

"There are others who worry so much the game is finished before they go
out on the pitch. The occasion is too much for them. Jamie is the
opposite. His temperament is second to none.

"I can remember when he first played against Duncan Ferguson. Jamie was
only a young lad breaking into the side and everyone was talking about
Ferguson's heading ability. Jamie handled him brilliantly and that
showed exactly the kind of character and player he is.

"He has shown this at every level ever since I've known him. That's why
he's done so well.

"His football brain has turned him into a top player. I think he'll move
into coaching eventually. He's always been hard too, as you would be
coming from Marsh Lane. Not hard in a bad way which gets you into
trouble with referees. But in a fair, competitive way where he'll always
make the opponent know he's there.

"Jamie has progressed more than any other player I took to the club.

"I remember one of his first practice games at Melwood when Steve
Heighway told me to just listen to the match rather than watch it. All
you could hear was this loud voice shouting 'ee are, ee are, ee are'
asking for a pass. When I looked towards the pitch, there was Jamie
running down the channels demanding the ball all the time.

"He was still a striker then and only started moving positions when he
turned professional, so it's amazing how comfortably he's dropped back
into defence now. It's like the role of centre-half was made for him and
as far as I'm concerned he's as good as anyone you could name in that
position now."

In an age where the cult of celebrity seems to attract would-be
footballers as much as the prospect of winning trophies, Carragher's
dedication to his club and sport makes him an even more valuable asset,
says Harry.

"He's not full of himself or someone you'll see walking around in gold
jewellery trying to look flash," he said.

"There are some youngsters who are awkward to sign because their fathers
are thinking about what money they can make when their lad is only 12.
Others just want the best for their lad.

"Jamie and his dad, Philly, always had the right attitude. They've only
ever been interested in the football. That's why Jamie was one of the
easiest signings we ever made. The only problem came because he was a
big Evertonian as a youngster and at one point he thought he wanted to
play for them.

"Steve Heighway agreed to let him go there for a while on the
understanding he'd come straight back if he didn't like it. That's
exactly what happened when he was 14. He left, but not for long.

"I think it was good he had that experience, otherwise he may have been
thinking about it later on. At that age, you don't always know what's
best for you or realise the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

"Some fathers would have taken their son to every club in the country to
try and get more money. That never does their lad any good. Philly
supported him well throughout, watching every training session and every
game. He only went to Everton because he was a fan, but Philly found me
one Saturday and asked me to get his lad back to Liverpool. He re-signed
the following Tuesday.

"You wouldn't think they used to be Blues now. They're red through and
through."

Since Harry recruited Carragher for his striking potential, a five year
goal drought comes as a surprise.

However, the talent spotter is hoping his protege is waiting for the
biggest stage of all to reveal those youthful finishing skills.

"I remember Tommy Smith scoring in the 1977 final, and he hardly ever
scored before then," says Harry, who also took the likes of Mark
Seagraves and Stephen Wright into the Anfield youth system.

"It would be fantastic if Jamie could do the same. A lot of people keep
going on about him not scoring for so long. I think it's playing on his
mind a bit. He's been getting closer, but if he can do it against AC
Milan, there would be no more ideal time.

"I'm extremely proud to see how well he's done. When people hear you
scouted for Liverpool they'll often ask you 'who did you bring through?'
If you don't give them a list of star names they probably think you were
a waste of time.

"But in the process of scouting you can see lots of potentially great
players who lose their way for a number of reasons and don't quite make
it. Small details can stop them, such as a bad injury or a bad decision.

"I call that 'hitting the bar'. You sometimes get close, but don't quite
score. In Jamie's case, I feel I put one into the top corner."

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