Jamie Carragher has been the tenth player to receive a major accolade from a club for which he never played during his career. The former Liverpool defender is no stranger to success, having won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, League Cup, and FA Cup during his playing career. He has also received numerous accolades since retiring, and he continues to create waves in the punditry industry.
However, the 47-year-old’s on-field career has now been recognised by a club to which he is not affiliated, putting him in the same league as Paolo Maldini, Ryan Giggs, and Carles Puyol.
Carragher Wins One Clubman Award
Carragher was named the winner of Athletic Club’s ‘One Club Man’ award earlier this month, which honours players who have spent their entire career with a single side. The La Liga team has a unique reputation for solely using players with ties to the Basque Country, where the club is headquartered, emphasising loyalty and development from inside the team.
Carragher is one of football’s most famous one-club players, having made 737 senior appearances for Liverpool over his career. Crucially, unlike other potential contenders, he never went on loan as a child, which would have eliminated him from consideration.
The Sky Sports analyst responded to the news on social media, writing, “It’s a big pleasure for me to be recognised by your unique and fantastic football club! I am quite excited to visit Bilbao and the San Mames at the end of this month. “Thank you.”
He was honoured with the award before Athletic Club’s La Liga match against Girona on Tuesday evening.
The award was first presented in 2015, with Southampton star Matt Le Tissier being named the inaugural recipient. He was succeeded by Paolo Maldini, who played for AC Milan in three distinct decades.
Other prominent honourees include Carles Puyol and Ryan Giggs, while Giuseppe Bergomi, who spent more than 20 years at Inter Milan, received the 2024 award.
Athletic Club One Club Man Award Winners
Year
Player
Club
2015
Matthew Le Tissier
Southampton
2016
Paulo Maldini
AC Milan
2017
Sepp Maier
Bayern Munich
2018
Carlos Puyol
Barcelona
2019
Billy McNeil
Celtic
2020
Ryan Giggs
Manchester United
2022
Ricardo Bochini
Independiente
2023
Joรฃo Pinto
Porto
2024
Giuseppe Bergomi
Inter Milan
2025
Jamie Carragher
Liverpool
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