Position: Defender
Born: 28.01.78
Club: Liverpool

Having started each of England's final four World Cup qualifiers, Jamie Carragher might feel aggrieved to be heading to Germany as a second-choice player.

But the Liverpool hero is wiser than most to the ways of the squad system and he will almost certainly be called upon at crucial moments this summer.

After a record-breaking haul of caps for the Under-21s, the Bootle-born defender made his senior debut in a friendly in Hungary in April 1999.

A series of substitute appearances, and two starts, followed down the years, with Carragher's oft-mentioned versatility making him a useful inclusion.

But that versatility also seemed to prevent him from making any significant progress for his country, as Carragher was moved around the defence for club and country.

However, he was solid enough to earn a place in the squad for Euro 2004 and although he did not feature in Portugal, Carragher's career took a significant upturn that summer.

For back home in Liverpool, Rafael Benitez was planning a season which would culminate in Carragher collecting a Champions League winners' medal. He established himself as one of Europe's most determined and respected centre-backs, and won five more England caps.

Injuries and suspensions led to Carragher enjoying several more outings at the end of the qualifying campaign and although the 28-year-old may not feature in his favoured position at the World Cup, he can be relied upon to give the full 100% wherever he is fielded.