One-club man Jamie Carragher to retire from Liverpool at the end of the season

Defender will end his playing days at the current campaign

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has announced he will retire from football at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old told Liverpool's official website: "This will be my last season at Liverpool and my last as a professional footballer.

"I'm making this announcement now because I don't want the manager or the club to be answering questions on my future when I've already decided what I am going to do."

The defender joined Liverpool's youth system at the age of nine before making his first team debut against Middlesbrough in 1997. He has subsequently made more than 700 senior appearances for the Reds and insists he will remain committed to the cause until the end of the current campaign.

"I will be fully committed between now and the end of the season to doing the very best for Liverpool Football Club, as I've done my entire career since joining aged just nine-years-old," he said.

"It has been a privilege and an honour to represent this great club for as long as I have and I am immensely proud to have done so and thankful for all the support I have had. There are many memories I want to share and people to thank, but now is not the time for that.

"I won't be making any further comment on this decision until the end of the season; all our focus and concentration should be on achieving the best possible finish in the league this season and trying to win the last remaining trophy we are competing in."

The player, who was born in Bootle, has enjoyed an incredibly successful career at Anfield. During his time he has won the Champions League, Uefa Cup, two FA Cups, three League Cups as well as the Uefa Suprt Cup on two occasions. He is second only to Ian Callaghan in the club's all-time appearance table.

Carragher was also a regular for England during the top of his career and in total made 38 appearances for the national side.

He retired from international football in 2007 but made a comeback in 2010 under Fabio Capello and competed in the World Cup before retiring again after the tournament.