Humbling of a soccer hardman
Sky pundit who was one of fiercest defenders in football crumples in TV grilling over shame of spitting at girl, 14
HE never flinched when faced with the toughest opponents on the pitch.
But Jamie Carragher appeared close to tears yesterday as he was forced to make a humiliating apology live on TV for spitting at a 14-year-old girl and her father.
It came after Sky Sports suspended the former Liverpool defender, leaving his career as a TV pundit hanging by a thread.
In an emotional interview, the father of two said his children had been ‘disappointed’ by his ‘moment of madness’ – and admitted he had let his family down.
The drama, filmed by the girl’s father, a Manchester United fan, unfolded as he drove up beside the former Liverpool star on Saturday afternoon. Carragher was driving home after summarising the lunchtime match for Sky Sports.
He claims he was goaded by the man following Liverpool’s earlier 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
On the video the man could be heard saying from his car, ‘Unlucky Jamie lad – 2-1!’ Carragher then utters something before spitting out of his car window at the camera and driving away.
The man’s daughter is then heard to say, ‘He spat at me’, before her father replies: ‘How? Oooh. Nice. Jamie Carragher spat at my daughter. Nice, very nice Jamie Carragher.’ The video ends with the girl saying to her father: ‘Will you stop it now?’
Yesterday a chastened Carragher tried hard to contain his emotions in what many regarded as a ‘brutal’ grilling by Sky News presenter Sarah Hewson.
‘It was a moment of madness, it’s difficult for me to explain,’ he told her. ‘It’s just that moment of madness for four or five seconds. No matter the circumstances, you can’t ever behave like that.
‘You can’t obviously condone that behaviour… in any way shape or form, where you are, who you represent. I’ve let Sky Sports down, my family and the family involved.
‘I called the family and they were upset. The biggest regret, certainly, is for the 14-year-old girl to be caught in the middle of this, and my altercation with the father.
‘It’s my biggest devastation that a young 14-year-old has become embroiled in this. I’ve got a daughter the same age… it’s difficult to find the words for the way I’d react… but all I can do right now is apologise. I can’t go back. Hopefully they accept that. I’d like to apologise once more to them all.’
Carragher – a Liverpool stalwart who played in 737 games during a 17-year career – added: ‘I haven’t offered my resignation. ‘I’m just talking to people at Sky and going forward and they’ve made it be known that they’re very disappointed. I’ve brought shame on Sky … there is no doubt that what I’ve done is disgusting. I apologise for it. If someone in that game had done that I’d have vilified them for the next few days.
‘What I hope – after 25 years in the public eye – is that five seconds of madness will not take over my life. Hopefully going forward I can show the real me – I don’t think that’s a real representation of me. I’ve made mistakes, but this is a huge one… and I’m horrified.’ Carragher joined Sky TV in 2013 following his retirement as a player. Asked if he thought he should be sacked by the channel, he replied: ‘It doesn’t matter if I say yes or no. That’s down to the powers above… Hopefully a moment of madness won’t cloud people’s judgment of me, my character, my career.’
The former England player said he did not want to give ‘a reason or an excuse’ for his behaviour.
His actions saw him lambasted yesterday by two ex-footballers who have hardly been paragons on virtue on the pitch. Nevertheless Vinnie Jones and Joey Barton were keen to condemn Carragher.
Speaking on Talksport radio, Barton said: ‘You just can’t do that… He should be an impartial pundit.’ Jones described the spitting as ‘cowardly’.
It is not the first time Carragher has been involved in a road rage incident. In February 2008 he was arrested by police and cautioned for common assault following an altercation as he drove towards Liverpool’s Melwood training ground. The alleged victim contacted police and the player later accepted a police caution. Yesterday Sky Sports issued a statement confirming Carragher had been suspended. ‘Sky takes this matter extremely seriously and strongly condemns Jamie’s actions,’ the channel said. ‘We have made that clear to him in person today and suspended him from his duties. It falls well below the standards we expect of our people.’
Days before, Carragher told a radio interviewer that he could get emotional commentating on his former club. He added: ‘When your own side lose … you can be a little too critical of your own team and start thinking and shouting like a supporter does in the pub after a game.’