Jamie Carragher: Leading TV football pundit suspended for spitting

A leading TV football pundit, who was an England international and played for English Premier League club Liverpool, has been suspended by British broadcaster Sky Sports after footage emerged of him spitting at a couple of Manchester United fans.

Jamie Carragher, who appeared more than 500 times for Liverpool and played 38 times for England, was goaded and filmed by a United fan while driving on the motorway following Sunday’s match between the two clubs.

Carragher then spat at the fan and his 14-year-old daughter through his car window.

“Jamie Carragher has been suspended from his duties as a football analyst for Sky after he was filmed spitting at a family in their car following Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester United on Saturday,” said a Sky statement.

The 40-year-old – who has also been dropped by Danish channel TV3 Sport as a pundit for Tuesday’s Champions League game between United and Spanish club Sevilla – has since appeared on Sky News, describing the incident as “a moment of madness.”

“You can’t condone that behaviour no matter what. I’ve let Sky Sports down, my family and the family involved,” the Champions League winner said.

“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. I’ve got a daughter the same age … it’s difficult to find the words for the way I’d react.

“It’s a poor message. Not just for football, but for everyone out there. It’s the lowest of the low. I’ve never done it before, I’ll never do it again.”

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Carragher was due to appear on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football show to analyze the English Premier League game between Manchester City and Stoke City.

Liverpool and United have a long and bitter rivalry. United won Saturday’s game 2-1 to move five points clear of their rivals.