Hall of Fame: Carra and Sami

As a quintet of Liverpool legends continue to debate which two players from the last decade are worthy of being inducted into the LFC Hall of Fame, we continue our look at the contenders by running the rule over Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia.

Earlier this month, the five-man panel of Kenny Dalglish, Brian Hall, Phil Thompson, Ian Callaghan and Alan Hansen whittled a shortlist of 21 players from the 2000s down to just 10 names to be considered for a position amongst the club's elite.

Carragher and Hyypia join Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Dietmar Hamann, Gary McAllister, Michael Owen, Pepe Reina, John Arne Riise and Fernando Torres as the stars to have made the cut.

Two players from every decade since the club's inception in 1892 make up the current roll of honour and, over the course of the summer, the panel will carefully study each contender before ultimately deciding which duo of the last 10 years deserve to have their names forever associated with the greats of Anfield.

Over the coming weeks, Liverpoolfc.tv will also be analysing each of the 10. Last week, we looked back on the contributions of Alonso and Gerrard and today it's the turn of defensive stalwarts Carragher and Hyypia to come under our spotlight with Hansen providing the view from the panel.

Discuss who you think should be inducted on our message boards>>

Jamie Carragher

Era: 2000-09
Games: 511
Goals: 3
League games: 343
League goals: 2
Honours: Champions League (2005), UEFA Cup (2001), Super Cup (2001, 2005), FA Cup (2001, 2006), League Cup (2001, 2003) Community Shield (2001, 2006)

The ultimate one-club player, and with one of the biggest hearts in football, Jamie Carragher is Mr Liverpool.

The vice-captain has been instrumental in the Reds' success over the last decade, during which he's made more than 500 appearances.

One of the heroes of Istanbul, it's hard to imagine that famous comeback occurring without him.

Carra was an integral part of Gerard Houllier's treble-winning side of 2001, playing 58 games, most of which were at left-back.

Sadly, he suffered heartbreak when a fierce tackle from Blackburn's Lucas Neill at Ewood Park forced him to miss six months of the 2003-04 campaign - but the following season was to be a career-defining one for Liverpool's No.23.

Click here to see why Carra is amongst the contenders>>

While Carra had always been a first-team regular at Anfield, he'd somehow struggled to get the recognition he deserved. Each new signing was seen as a threat to his place, and the Kop had yet to reveal its dream of a team of Carraghers.

The arrival of new boss Rafael Benitez changed all this, with the Scouser getting the permanent centre-back slot he'd always craved.

Carra was soon being labelled the most underrated defender in the country, not least for his heroics in helping the Reds win the 2005 Champions League.

One of the most iconic images from the club's glorious night in Istanbul is that of him collapsing with cramp after yet another last-ditch interception.

He and Sami Hyypia had formed one of the tightest defensive partnerships in Europe, and it came as no surprise when he was voted Liverpoolfc.tv's Player of the Year.

In July 2005, the defender signed a new four-year deal at Anfield. His loyalty was rewarded a month later when, in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard, Carra lifted the European Super Cup following victory over CSKA Moscow in Monte Carlo.

There was more silverware at the end of the season despite a 21st minute own goal in the FA Cup final against West Ham. It was the local hero's 10th final in as many years.

Later that year, he was voted seventh in Liverpoolfc.tv's 100 Players Who Shook The Kop series, beating the likes of Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson and Emlyn Hughes to be the highest placed defender.

In August 2006, Carra wore the captain's armband in the Community Shield against champions Chelsea, jointly holding the silver dish aloft with injured skipper Gerrard.

The ensuing season included yet more milestones for the now Liverpool veteran. In December he scored his first league goal of the century against Fulham, taking his overall tally to four. Five months later, in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea, he broke Ian Callaghan's club record of 89 European appearances.

Unsurprisingly, Carra again committed his future to the Reds in the close season by signing another four-year contract.

The summer of 2007 also saw him retire from international football following continued frustration at a lack of opportunities.

It certainly did his club form no harm and six months later he became only the 12th player to make 500 appearances for Liverpool. Carra walked out to a guard of honour which included boss Rafa Benitez when Luton visited Anfield on January 15, 2008. The centre-half was also made captain for the night at the request of Stevie G.

As if all this wasn't enough, he then wrote a new page in Kop history by becoming the first player to represent the Reds 100 times in continental competition. Fittingly, the milestone was reached in one of Europe's top arenas, the San Siro, as Liverpool dumped Inter Milan, the runaway leaders of Serie A, out of the Champions League.

The 2008-09 campaign saw Carra get closer than ever to Premier League glory as Liverpool chased Manchester United until the penultimate weekend, and while 2009-10 proved to be a season of frustration, Carra continued to be a solid presence at the heart of our defence, prompting England coach Fabio Capello to coax him out of international retirement for the World Cup finals.

Finest moment?

Carragher's dogged display in the Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul, in which he played through the pain barrier in extra time to execute a couple of last-ditch clearances, helping Liverpool take the game to penalties and clinch their fifth European Cup. It confirmed his status as one of the leading centre-backs in world football.

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"I personally think that over the last four or five years he has been the best defender in the world. He's been consistent in the Premier League, he's never injured, he always gives 100 per cent, he's a good reader of the game, he's quick and is good in the air. He has everything you need to be a world-class defender and you also have to look at what he's achieved in the Champions League with Liverpool."

Chelsea's John Terry on Carragher in January 2008

Hansen's view

For 10 years and beyond, his level of consistency has been almost perfection. Not only that, but he's so committed to the cause - whether it's Birmingham, Hull or Manchester United, his performance is always the same. He's been one of the great central defenders of the last decade and I would definitely have liked to have played alongside him. He would have been a perfect foil for me because his attributes are different to mine, and he's 10 times better than me when it comes to heading, tackling and commitment. He knows what Liverpool Football Club is all about.

Should Carragher be inducted? Discuss it on our message boards>>

Sami Hyypia 

Era: 2000-09
Games: 441
Goals: 33
League games: 298
League goals: 20
Honours: Champions League (2005), UEFA Cup (2001), Super Cup (2001, 2005), FA Cup (2001, 2006), League Cup (2001, 2003) Community Shield (2001, 2006)

Sami Hyypia is one of the finest centre-backs ever to wear a red shirt.

The towering Finn's consistent performances through the Houllier and Benitez eras earned him a place among Europe's top defenders.

Hyypia's decade-long contribution to the British game was recognised in his homeland, where he was crowned Footballer of the Year seven times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

It's hard to believe he cost Liverpool just £2.5million from Dutch outfit Willem II in May 1999.

At the start of the decade, Hyypia quickly formed a watertight partnership with Stephane Henchoz, providing the foundation for a historic treble in 2000-01.

The centre-half wore the captain's armband through much of this momentous campaign in the absence of the injured Jamie Redknapp. He jointly lifted both the UEFA and FA Cups.

Following the departure of Redknapp in April 2002, Gerard Houllier handed his trusty defender the captaincy on a permanent basis, though he'd be replaced by the emerging Steven Gerrard in October 2003.

With the arrival of new boss Rafa Benitez in 2004 came numerous personnel changes, though it was clear Hyypia was going nowhere.

However, he did have a new central-defensive partner in Jamie Carragher, who was at last given a regular slot in his preferred position. Within 12 months they were regarded as one of the most formidable pairings on the continent following Liverpool's Champions League triumph in the Ataturk.

Hyypia scored one of the most memorable goals en route to Istanbul, an unstoppable volley to open the scoring against Juve in the quarter-finals.

Incredibly, he played every minute of 57 consecutive European games for the Reds from November 2001 to February 2006.

Click here to see why Sami is amongst the contenders>>

The arrival of young centre-halves Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel provided competition for places as Hyypia entered his twilight but, despite sometimes missing out, he continued to climb the club's all-time appearance table. In December 2008 he overtook Ron Yeats to enter the top 20.

Five months later the big Finn announced the 2008-09 campaign would be his last at Anfield after agreeing a two-year deal with German side Bayer Leverkusen.

He came on as a late substitute wearing the captain's armband during the season finale against Spurs for his 464th and last appearance. Earlier a 'Sami' mosaic was held aloft by the Kop, and at the final whistle the No.4 broke down in tears.

History will undoubtedly judge Hyypia to be one of the club's shrewdest pieces of business. His collection of winner's medals is in double figures and in 2006 fans voted him 38th in Liverpoolfc.tv's 100 Players Who Shook The Kop series. 

Finest moment?

Hyypia was a model of consistency for the duration of his Liverpool career, turning in flawless performances in each of the major finals he contested during the decade. However, perhaps his stand out moment was a volley of technically perfect execution in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg clash with Juventus at Anfield in April 2005. A crisper finish you'd be hard pressed to find.

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"Everyone talks about foreign players like Zola, Henry and Bergkamp but they never look at Sami. In terms of consistency he's well up there with them, there's no doubt about it. Maybe he can do something out of the blue every now and again but every week, for nine months of the season, Sami Hyypia is your man. He's definitely one of the best foreign players this country has ever seen."

Jamie Carragher on his teammate in the summer of 2006

Hansen's view

Would I have liked to have played alongside Sami Hyypia? The answer is a categorical yes. Not the quickest player in the world - a bit similar Phil Thompson in that respect, but Thommo and Sami's reading of the game made up for it. Bob Paisley had a famous line about the first two yards on the pitch being in your head and Sami sums that up. He was committed to the Liverpool cause over such a long time and gave it his all. He scored a lot of goals, was really dominant in the air and when you talk about the club's best ever buys, he is right up there.

Does Hyypia deserve to join the Hall of Fame? Discuss it on our message boards>>