Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has pleaded with Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso to stay at Anfield.

Alonso has been linked with a 20 million pounds move to Real Madrid and has so far refused to rule out a switch to the Bernabeu.

Carragher knows Liverpool's American owners have suffered financial difficulties recently and could be willing to accept a big offer but the centre-back hopes Alonso will stay loyal to the Reds.

"He (Alonso) and Stevie Gerrard were probably our best two players last season. I think Stevie won Footballer of the Year, but if you asked the fans I think they would maybe say that Alonso was our best player last season so he is certainly someone we don't want to lose," Carragher told Sky Sports News.

Carragher admits he is concerned that Alonso isn't the only player being touted for an Anfield exit. Alvaro Arbeloa is interesting Real, while Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina has emerged as a target for Barcelona.

"I'm like any fan, I get excited about who we might bring in. The players are exactly the same as the man on the street, you pick up the paper hoping you are going to see you've signed someone," Carragher added.

"But there has been a bit of speculation about players moving on, so at the moment I'm hoping that doesn't happen rather than people come in. We have got a great side at the moment, and I'm sure the manager will make a couple of additions, but we don't want to lose anyone."

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is already turning his mind towards next season and the absence of a man who has almost become part of the furniture at Anfield - Sami Hyypia.

The Finnish international centre-back, a man who, much like Carragher, has come to symbolise something of the indomitable spirit at the club, is leaving Merseyside for the Bundesliga, and will be joining Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal in the summer.

Carragher acknowledges that his absence will leave a void at the club that goes beyond the mere absence of the Finn's name from the team-sheet.

"It will be strange because although you come back to pre-season every year knowing that you will probably see one or two new faces and a couple will have left you just expect to see Sami there," the former England defender told The Liverpool Echo.

"He’s usually at the front when we’re running because he’s such a good trainer and such a good professional so it will take some getting used to.

"I suppose in a way we’ve all known that this day wouldn’t be too far off because Sami hasn’t been playing as much as he would like and he still feels that he has a lot to offer in terms of playing regular first team football.

Jamie Carragher has hailed the never-say-die attitude which has kept Liverpool in the title hunt this season.

The Reds continue to sit hot on the heels of Premier League leaders Manchester United with four games of the season remaining.

The Red Devils, who do have a game in hand on their North West rivals, currently enjoy a three-point lead at the summit.

That could soon be whittled away, though, and Carragher insists Liverpool will be ready to pounce on any slip-ups by United heading down the final stretch.

"We've shown all season that we are prepared to fight and I think that is one of the main reasons why we have only lost two league games up to now," said the commanding centre-half.

"Obviously people will point to the fact that we have had a few more draws than some of the other teams around us, but to only have two defeats at this stage of the season is testament to the team and its character."

Ahead of Wednesday's memorial service for the souls lost in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, Jamie Carragher revealed to Liverpoolfv.tv what the childhood version of the Liverpool defender was doing on that day.

A Merseyside native, Carragher had grown up an Everton fan, so on the day that 96 lives were lost in Sheffield Wednesday's home stadium, the young Toffees fanatic was at a different semi-final that day.

"In those days the semi-finals were played on the same day and at the same time, me being an Everton fan I was at Villa Park watching Everton play Norwich," the 31-year-old told Liverpool's official website.

"It wasn't until we heard on the radio in the car on the way back to Liverpool what had really happened. It's amazing how it's 20 years ago and that it took people so long to find out. It just goes to show the difference between today and then."

Carragher revealed that the majority of his family were Evertonians, but due to the scale of the disaster, it was inevitable that most people knew someone who was affected by the grim incident.

"I just remember being at school, and being in assemblies singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone', which was usually hard for Evertonians on other occasions."

"It is something we will never forget, we will hold the memorial at Anfield every season, and rightly so. We should never forget and we realize what it means to the club."