SI

Jamie Carragher Admits He's 'Sent a Poor Message' to His Kids in Interview About Spitting Incident

Football pundit Jamie Carragher has admitted he has "sent a poor message to his kids" in a television interview, after being suspended by Sky due to a spitting

90 Min

Jamie Carragher Admits He's 'Sent a Poor Message' to His Kids in Interview About Spitting Incident
Jamie Carragher Admits He's 'Sent a Poor Message' to His Kids in Interview About Spitting Incident /

Football pundit Jamie Carragher has admitted he has "sent a poor message to his kids" in a television interview, after being suspended by Sky due to a spitting incident over the weekend.

The former Liverpool defender turned football pundit was being teased about Saturday's result by a man in a neighbouring car as Carragher was driving, before he proceeded to spit towards the man and his 14-year-old daughter - who was sat in the passenger seat of the car.

He has come under heavy media criticism since the video of the incident leaked online, and has since been suspended by Sky after being scheduled to appear on Monday Night Football alongside Gary Neville and Brendan Rodgers.

5aa6ed8b140033de09000001.jpg
Julian Finney/GettyImages

Carragher has personally apologised to the family involved, however also took it upon himself to appear on Sky News and address the issue, issuing a public apology.

In the interview when initially asked about his behaviour, Carragher said: "You can't condone that behaviour in any way, shape or form, no matter where you are, who you’re representing – obviously at Sky Sports now, my family and the most important people in this really who were probably most effected is the family involved and especially the 14-year-old daughter."

When asked why he carried out his actions, he replied: “It was a moment of madness, it’s difficult for me to explain. Watching those clips back it feels almost like an out-of-body thing, it’s just that moment of madness for four or five seconds. No matter the circumstances, you can’t ever behave like that, that is just unacceptable.

“But to be honest that is where again I think to myself ‘why did you react like that’ because that’s part of being a public figure at times, different things get said but you don’t react like that.

"It’s the only time I’ve reacted like that and it will be the only time I react like that, so again, I have no excuse and it’s devastating for the family involved and also for my own family, but that’s down to my actions that’s brought that on.

"I apologise because I know that I will put a lot of my supporters, family and friends in a very difficult position. But the most important thing is the family involved. They’ve been dragged into the media storm. Hopefully I get the chance again to face the family and show how sorry I really am."

Carragher went onto confirm he has apologised to the family involved and admitted his biggest regret was getting involved in the situation in the first place. The interviewer then asked the pundit whether he felt he should keep his job at Sky, and he replied with: “It remains to be seen. It’s obviously Sky’s decision, not my decision.

"What I would say is there is no doubt what I’ve done is disgusting. I apologise for it. I’m getting vilified for it and rightly so because if someone had done that in the game that I was commentating on [between] Manchester United and Liverpool, I’d have vilified them for the next few days.

"What I hope, not just for Sky but for the public, after 25 years in the public eye, is that five seconds of madness will not take over everything I’ve done up to now."

He joined the Sky team in June 2013 following his retirement from professional football and has been a key figure in Sky Sport's coverage of Monday Night Football, forming a strong partnership with fellow pundit Gary Neville. 

It has yet to be confirmed how long Carragher has been suspended for or if he is to keep his role a Sky.

Published
90 Min
90 MIN

Home/Soccer