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Jamie Carragher has lifted the lid on his best and worst Liverpool FC teammates – and revealed just how close he came to a coaching role at Anfield.

Speaking in a Q&A, in which he answered questions submitted by Daily Mail readers , the Kop legend confirmed that there had been a possibility of him joining Brendan Rodgers' backroom staff in 2012, but that the offer had never materialised.

Carragher said: “The first time I spoke to Brendan Rodgers, he had just been announced as the Liverpool manager, it was in the summer so players were on holiday. He rang me and he said he wanted me to be on his staff.

“I thought at that stage of my career, I wasn't playing every week under Kenny Dalglish before he was sacked, so I thought I'd play some games and maybe learn the coaching side of it.

“I then met him face-to-face in Liverpool before we started pre-season training and he changed his mind and brought Mike Marsh in from the academy. Maybe if I had landed the role I would still be at the club now or sacked with Brendan. That was the closest I've been.”

Carragher, who said he would “bite your hand” off if Liverpool could secure a first-leg lead over Manchester United in the Europa League tonight, also lifted the lid on his former Anfield teammates.

There were few surprises in the names that cropped up.

“The first one that springs to mind is Xabi Alonso,” he said when asked about best colleagues, other than Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez. “I was devastated when he left for Real Madrid a

“I think we sometimes forget how good Michael Owen was at 18 because of what came after that with the injuries and signing for Manchester United. I totally get that and I told him that.

“He did so much so young, similar to Robbie Fowler, so his best years were at 20 and 21. You can put Fowler in that bracket as well.”

And asked to rate the worst signings during his time at the club, he said: “There's been a few. El Hadji Diouf has got to be up there. Alberto Aquilani would have to be up there as well. We spent a lot of money on him. He was signed injured, he left injured and I can't remember him not being injured.

“I can't believe we signed Mario Balotelli! The thing with Balotelli is everyone always says it's the off-the-field antics, but I wouldn't care if he was doing it on the pitch. People tell me he's got talent but I can't remember him having a good game!

“I'm praying with all the money in the Chinese Super League that someone is going to buy him after his loan. I don't think anyone in the Premier League will take him. He has to be No 1 with Aquilani and Diouf.”

You can read the full Daily Mail Q&A with Jamie Carragher here