Carragher reveals how he put Arbeloa 'back in his box' during Liverpool days
Jamie Carragher shares amusing anecdote about having to remind former Liverpool teammate Álvaro Arbeloa of his defensive duties after the Spaniard got ideas above his station.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has lifted the lid on how he had to bring Álvaro Arbeloa down a peg or two during their time together at Anfield.
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo alongside Kate Scott, the Liverpool legend shared an amusing tale about the current Real Madrid Castilla manager, who has recently taken over from Xabi Alonso.
”Not a great player”
Carragher didn’t mince his words when discussing his former teammate, who played for the Reds between 2007 and 2009 before moving to Real Madrid.
“Arbeloa wasn’t a great player, but he was a good player… And he started thinking he was a great player,” Carragher revealed.
“So he needed to get his feet back on the ground. He was attacking too much and I just wanted him to defend. That was his job.”
Clean sheet obsession
The context for Carra’s stern words with the Spaniard came during Liverpool’s push to secure the best defensive record in the Premier League. The stakes were high for the backline, with goalkeeper Pepe Reina chasing his third consecutive Golden Glove award.
“We needed to keep a clean sheet to make sure we had the best defensive record of the season,” Carragher explained, clearly irked by Arbeloa’s attacking adventures at such a crucial time.
The gamble paid off, with Carragher noting: “I think we beat West Bromwich 2-0 and we got the Golden Glove for Pepe Reina.”
From teammate to gaffer
Arbeloa has come a long way since being told to “put his feet back on the ground” at Liverpool. After a successful playing career that saw him win multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid, he’s now following in the footsteps of another ex-Liverpool teammate, Xabi Alonso, by cutting his teeth in management.
While Alonso has been making waves with Bayer Leverkusen, Arbeloa has been working his way up through the Real Madrid coaching system – proving there’s more to the man than just the solid defender Carragher wanted him to be all those years ago.
Perhaps Carra’s tough love approach worked out for the best after all. As we say in London, everything’s turned out ‘apples and pears’ for the Spanish defender-turned-coach.