One club players are rare in the modern game, and Jamie Carragher could wind up being among the last ever. The Liverpool-born player, an Evertonian as a child, went on to represent fierce rivals Liverpool for the duration of his professional career. With over 700 games for the Reds and 38 caps for his country, Carragher played from 1996 until 2013, covering everything from the full-back position to playing full-time as a central defender. With a never-say-die attitude and a tactical brain that far outweighed his physicality, Carragher was a key part of the Liverpool side of the Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez era.

What made Jamie Carragher so special?

Carragher was a born leader, a player who made the absolute most of every screed of talent he had. Never the best defender in terms of physique, pace, or technique, Carragher got by with reading of the game and a desire to never shirk a challenge.

Throughout a career where Carragher played various positions, his development into a smaller-than-usual central defender ensured that the England man would become a key player. Under Benitez, he was moulded into one of the best defenders in the Premier League, becoming a key part of Liverpool teams who fought for honours.

His legendary performance in Istanbul, when he played through injury to win the 2005 UEFA Champions League, will go down in Liverpool folklore.

What does Jamie Carragher do now?

Having shirked the coaching game, Carragher is a popular pundit on Sky Sports, acting as co-anchor to Gary Neville on their flagship Monday Night Football show. Carragher has become a regular commentator, too, often doing games for Sky and for other platforms.

His insight into the game as well as his passionate personality makes Carragher an absorbing pundit to listen to throughout the duration of any match.

Haydock Park Racecourse, in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, North West England is a dual-purpose venue hosting top-class Flat and National Hunt racing throughout the year. On the Flat, the principal race is the Sprint Cup, which was established in 1966, but switched to early September in 1979 and to the straight six-furlong course, which opened that year, in 1986. The Sprint Cup was promoted to Group 1 status in 1988 and incorporated into the British Champion Stakes in 2011.

Haydock racecourse also plays host to three prestigious Group 2 races during the spring and summer months. In chronological order, they are the Temple Stakes, open horses aged three years and upwards and run over five furlongs in May, the Sandy Lane Stakes, open to three-year-olds and run over six furlongs in late May or early July and the Lancashire Oaks, run over a mile and a half and open to fillies and mares aged three years and upwards.

Under National Hunt Rules, the Betfair Chase, open to horses aged five years and upwards and run over three miles and one-and-a-half furlongs in November, has the distinction of being the first Grade 1 steeplechase of the season. Indeed, along with the King George VI Chase, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Bowl, it is one of just four Grade 1 races in the staying chasing division run in Britain. Of course, jump racing takes place all year ’round and early on, in May, the Swinton Handicap Hurdle, a Premier Handicap worth £80,000, is the feature contest on the sole mixed Flat and National Hunt card staged in Britain.

The personification of the ordinary guy who made it big, Ian Wright is a legend within football circles for good reason. The England international built up a career from non-league activity and even short-term imprisonment to becoming one of the best goalscorers in the history of Arsenal. Across an interesting career, he played for the likes of Greenwich Borough, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Wet Ham United, Celtic, and Burnley. For his country, Wright played 33 times, scoring 9 goals.

He was, without doubt, one of the hardest working and most clinical forwards of his era.

What made Ian Wright so special?

His story is one that is easy to find and to fall in love with, on top of a bubbly personality and an optimistic demeanour. However, what made Wright so special was his ability on the pitch. He could score from various angles, was decent in the air, and worked tirelessly to pressure defences. He was a player who, to many, carried that knife-between-the-teeth attitude that is needed to succeed at the highest echelons of the game.

He played with respect for his teammates and none for his opponents, making him an absorbing presence to watch as he paraded around Highbury en route to becoming one of the top goalscorers in club history.

What does Ian Wright do now?

Today, Wright is a successful pundit and has become a major part of the media in the English game. His effervescent personality and his human approach to talking about football make him an easy pundit to listen to. Though somewhat light on deep analysis, Wright brings a fans perspective to games and can be incredible to listen to when we opens up on his own insights.

Given his path to stardom, Wright has become a personality known for both his on-pitch expertise and his off-pitch perspective.