Jamie Carragher’s broadcasting career is hanging in the balance after he was captured on video spitting at a teenage girl and her family from his car.
The pundit, who has just been suspended by Sky Sports, had been covering his former side Liverpool in their defeat against Manchester United on Saturday. Driving away from Old Trafford, the family of United supporters spotted Carragher in his car next to them in traffic.
In a video obtained by the Daily Mirror, Carragher exchanged waves with the girl’s dad before the 40-year-old former England defender wound down his window. The girl then wound down her window before her father shouted “Unlucky Jamie lad. Two, one.”
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The Liverpool legend then aimed a mouthful of saliva, the Mirror reports, at the passenger window of the family’s car.
In a Twitter post last night Carragher apologised for his actions, but says he was “goaded” three or four times “while being filmed”. He tweeted: “Totally out of order & Ive apologised personally to all the family this evening. I was goaded 3/4 times along the motorway while being filmed & lost my rag. No excuse apologies.”
Speaking to Sky News today after his suspension was announced, Carragher said it was a “moment of madness” that led him to spit towards the car. He said: “I’ve made mistakes in my 25-year career, but this is the worst one.”
In a statement Sky Sports said: “Sky takes this matter extremely seriously and strongly condemns Jamie’s actions. 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.”
Callagher added: “The world that we live in now, with social media, a lot of people will have seen this clip. It’s the lowest of the low, and I’ll never do it again.”
The father of the girl has also been criticised for using his phone while driving. The girl’s mother told the Mirror that Carragher’s actions were “disgusting”.
Football fans have reacted with anger to Carragher’s spitting shame.
“What sort of example are you setting?”
“Spitting is disgusting whether on a pitch or in the car”.
“I do think both are in the wrong”.
“Such awful double standards”.
“No excuse for that”.
“Carragher has apologised, there’s nothing more to see”.
