The 35-year-old predicts he will miss the dressing room environment after retirement and that management may be the only way to experience it once again in the future

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has refused to rule out a move into coaching in the future.

The 35-year-old will retire from playing after Sunday’s home match against QPR and is set to become a pundit with Sky Sports next season.

But he has revealed it may not be too long before he returns to day-to-day involvement in the game in a coaching capacity.

“I am sure I will (miss it). I love the dressing room and getting yourself up for big games,” Carragher told reporters.

“There is nothing better than being successful and achieving things with your mates – they were great times for us. It is very difficult to replace that whatever job you go into.

“The closest is probably coaching and managing so I suppose if I do miss it so much I will look to get back in at some stage.”

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes Carragher’s experience and passion would make him a great asset to any club as a coach, though expects the defender to assess his options before moving into management.

“Over the course of the next two to three years he will look to decide what he wants to do,” the Reds boss said.

“There is no doubt if you are a footballer with the passion he has you are going to miss it. You are never going to take the football out of him.

“He has never ruled that (coaching) out but it is not at the forefront of his mind at the moment.

“I hope one day in the future we can look at that side.”

The defender is set to hang up his boots following Sunday’s game against QPR having player 738 times for the Anfield club, and the Rs boss says he ranks among the club’s best

QPR boss Harry Redknapp has hailed Jamie Carragher as “one of the greats” ahead of the Liverpool defender’s retirement.

The 35-year-old will play his 738th and final game for the Reds on Sunday against the Rs, bringing a 17-season playing career at Anfield to an end.

And after winning five domestic cups and four European cups – including the Champions League – Carragher is up there with the best Liverpool have ever produced, according to Redknapp.

“Jamie Carragher has been one of the great pros,” Redknapp told reporters. “He’s a top, top professional and a great guy. He has a great knowledge of the game and is a real leader.

“Everybody would love a Jamie Carragher in their team. If I had him in my team next season we’d get promoted. That’s how highly I rate him.

“He’s the type of player who will drag the team along for you. There aren’t many of them around. Liverpool are very lucky to have had him and Steven Gerrard at the club. They’ve been brilliant.

“Liverpool’s his team and I imagine he’s never even thought about leaving the club. It will be a full house for him at Anfield.

“He’s been massive to Liverpool, one of their most important players. He’s up there with all their great players over the years – Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes and Phil Thompson.”

Carragher also represented England 38 times during his career – including at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups – before retiring from international football in the summer of 2010.

The striker initially struggled for form and fitness on loan at West Ham, frustrating the Irishman, only for the England international to improve as the season wore on

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was coy on the future of Andy Carroll, who is currently on loan at West Ham, insisting he will assess his progression at the end of the season.

The striker, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle for £35 million in January 2011, linked up with Sam Allardyce’s side last summer after being told he would be behind lone frontman Luis Suarez in the pecking order at Anfield.

Carroll initially struggled at Upton Park, not scoring his first goal until November, but has since notched six in his last 12 outings – although Rodgers admits the loan spell has not gone as well as first hoped.

“In terms of Andy, it has been good to see the bit of form he has shown now towards the end of the season,” Rodgers told reporters. “He has obviously had a difficult season as a whole because of injury, so it’s been a little bit frustrating.

“I suppose it’s similar to last season, he showed that bit of form here at the end of last season and he’s obviously shown that again at West Ham.

“The idea for Andy to go out [on loan] was to get games; he wanted to play, he didn’t want to be sat here playing second fiddle to anyone and I commend that because some players are happy to maybe sit on the bench and not play.

“But he wanted to go out and play football. He’s gone to West Ham, which is a great club, and under Sam Allardyce he’s done very well. So we’ll assess that at the end of the season and take it from there.”

West Ham have expressed an interest in recruiting Carroll permanently, but the 24-year-old will snub a move to the Hammers this summer as he wants to stay and fight for his future on Merseyside.