Despite being fully fit, the defender was not selected to start the game - the first time that has happened in 11 seasons. Carragher has made nearly 500 league appearances for Liverpool since stepping up from the youth academy in 1996. But the 33-year-old knows he is now no longer a certain starter for the Reds. He told the Daily Telegraph: "I am not the future of Liverpool. Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Sebastian Coates are. "But I can still be part of the present for a few more years. It's only one game I've not been selected for, so it's not over yet. "Over the last decade, if I had missed a match I would have gone straight back into the team when available. This time I didn't and I have to accept it, agree with it and understand it. I was out for a couple of weeks and the lads who came in did really well. "I've always said mental strength is important in every player and this is another test of that. "In the past, there were people saying if Steven Gerrard and me weren't playing there was a problem, but now you look at it and say out of the last three games, we've won two away from home. "That's good for the club. We have to look to the future. I'm sure the manager, Damien Comolli (director of football) and owners are looking at that while wanting to make sure we're doing everything to win from one week to the next. "I think I can speak for Stevie too when I say we're desperate to help the club win trophies as much as we can, whether we play or not. "That has always been our aim. I still always want to play the next game, but this club has been great to me and I will never be disrespectful to it or to anyone who is selected ahead of me. "That was one of the things Gerard Houllier always said to me. You must respect those that are playing, especially in your position."
