Jamie Carragher accepts he has to be patient while the form of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel continues to keep him out of the Liverpool team.

Carragher: Slipped down the pecking order

The experienced centre-half was, for a number of years, considered to be virtually untouchable at Anfield.

He has, however, slipped behind Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel in the pecking order this season, with an unfortunate injury having left the door open for that pair to cement their standing in Kenny Dalglish's thoughts.

Carragher is not the type to kick up a fuss about finding himself out of favour, with it not in his nature to rock the boat.

Instead, the 34-year-old is determined to make the most of any opportunities that do come his way, with it possible that he could be returned to the Reds' starting XI for an FA Cup firth round clash with Brighton on Sunday.

"Of course, every player wants to play. But I went out of the team through injury and other players have come in and played well," Carragher told the Mail on Sunday.

"The manager has been fair to those players and rightly so.

"Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel have been two of our best players. I've got to wait my turn, just as other players had to wait their turn when I'd been playing for so long.

"That's just the way football is, you have to respect the manager's decision, respect the other players and, as I say, just do the best for your club when you get a chance."

Carragher would never dare question the authority of Dalglish at Anfield, with the Kop hero having helped to see Liverpool through a sticky patch and out of the other side.

"There has been a lot happening on and off the pitch in recent times," he said.

"Obviously we had the ownership situation, that got sorted out. Then Kenny came in, and we had massive upturn in form. Especially last season, we nearly got back into the top four and that is something we're aiming for this season.

"It's a long time since we won a trophy but we're in the Carling Cup final and still in the FA Cup.

"When you're at Liverpool as a player or a manager it's about winning trophies and we're very close this season and desperate to go all the way in the FA Cup.

"The top four is also a big ambition because, of course, the Champions League is a massive part of the game, and that is something we want to be a part of.

"The season's there for us, and if we can put a great run of form in between now and the end of the season we can achieve a lot."