Honesty best policy in Carra's comeback

Nobody should have any reservations about Jamie Carragher going to the World Cup, writes Mark Lawrenson.

For me, it's easy to see why Fabio Capello chose him because he has in abundance one of the qualities the Italian loves. Honesty.

And the England coach can rest easy knowing that Carragher has returned to the England fold because he wants to.

He wants to go to the World Cup and he wants to help England win it.

In his book he was honest about his feeling for his country compared to his club. It didn't mean he was unpatriotic but it did mean he would get endless stick and he knew it.

Just like when he quit international football three years ago. It would have been far easier for Carragher to continue being the squad man, turning up and taking the appearance money whether he got time on the pitch or not.

But Carragher was honest with himself and everyone else. He knew he was fed up with the England experience, he knew he wanted to pack it in.

And he knew he would be criticised too, but he had to do what he felt was right.

And it would also have been easy to say to Capello that he couldn't go back on his word and return to the England set-up.

Yet Carragher has decided once again to come out of his comfort zone and leave himself open not only to scrutiny over his decision but also to the frustrations that he felt during his original England career.

After all, he could go to South Africa and find himself stuck back in the same rut and unable to force his way into the team.

(I think he will make the 23, otherwise why would Capello have pursued him just to axe him at the final cut? But he is surely there for his versatility and the fact that he can cover all the positions across the defence.)

As long as Carragher has been made aware of this, then the disappointments he might have felt on previous international excursions shouldn't surface again.

One criticism that I have seen levelled at the player this week is his apparent desire to play for England only when it suits him.

But again, Carragher has been honest on this by saying that with no Champions League football for Liverpool next season he needs something to test him at the top level.

At the age of 32, I get exactly where he's coming from.

And this isn't a case of Carragher picking and choosing when he plays for his country, this is his country choosing him.

The whole point about his initial decision to quit was that he wasn't feeling wanted.

Now he is, who can blame him for wanting to reciprocate those feelings with possible World Cup glory on the horizon?

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.