'HE OVERSTEPPED THE MARK'
Gary Neville backs Jamie Carragher over spitting video row and says ex-Liverpool star should keep Sky Sports role
GARY Neville has backed suspended football pundit Jamie Carragher over his fan spitting shame — describing it as an "isolated incident".
Man Utd legend Gary, 43, said his ex-Liverpool rival Carragher "overstepped the mark" when he spat in the face of a teenage girl after her dad teased him.
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Jamie Carragher spits at Manchester United fan from his car window after Liverpool's loss at Old Trafford
The £1m-a-year Sky Sports regular was today suspended following the incident which came after Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.
Gary wrote on Twitter: "I’ve just watched Carra23 say sorry. No excuses he’s made a big mistake.
"He’s massively passionate about football and he’s overstepped the mark and shouldn’t have reacted.
"I’ve been on TV for 3 years with him and (in my opinion) this isolated incident shouldn’t stop us working together."
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Carragher was suspended today after:
- Footage emerged yesterday of Carragher spitting at a 14-year-old girl through the window of his Range Rover
- Danish TV station TV3 Sport confirmed Carragher will no longer front their Champions League coverage tomorrow night
- Joey Barton said the former Liverpool defender should be sacked from his role
- Vinnie Jones branded him a 'coward' on TalkSPORT
- Richard Keys - who resigned from Sky after a sexism scandal - said 'this will be interesting'
- Carragher was stripped of his duties on Monday Night Football tonight and forced to endure an excruciating public grilling
Appearing on Sky News just moments after he was suspended, Carragher was made to watch the footage as he appeared in an excruciating interview live on the channel.
He made a desperate bid to save his job and his reputation, but winced and almost broke down as he was taken to task by interviewer Sarah Hewson.
During the interview, he was even asked to comment on tweets posted by furious fans, ex-footballers and celebrities.
He described his actions as a "moment of madness", adding: "I have no excuse and it's devastating for the family involved and my own family."
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He said: "I have no excuse. My biggest regret is for the 14-year-old girl to be caught in the middle of this, my altercation with the father."
Asked if he deserves to keep his job, he replied: "There's no doubt what I have done is disgusting, I'm getting vilified and rightly so.
"I would hope five seconds of madness will not take over everything of what I've done - I don't feel like that's a real representation of me."
Carragher added he has not offered his resignation and the future of his role is "Sky's decision".
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.”
Jamie Carragher apologises for spitting at 14-year-old girl, as he arrives at London Euston
The former Liverpool defender had just watched his side lose 2-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford and says he was being goaded by the girl's dad when he wound down his window and spat at the pair and drove off.
Video footage shows how the pair exchanged an initial wave, before the dad shouted: “Unlucky Jamie lad!” and “2-1!”
When the teasing continued Carragher spat — hitting the teenager who was in the passenger seat and leaving her in tears. Carragher yesterday said he had been “goaded.”
Police can bring assault charges over spitting — or prosecute as a public order offence.
Carragher has said previously in a football column that players spitting at each other is “vile”.
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Jamie Carragher was 'mad' to spit at 14-year-old girl and as a dad should know better, blasts talkSPORT pundit Joey Barton
He wrote in 2015: "As usual, there have been a number of people who have said 'it is the worst thing that can happen on a pitch.
"It is vile but let me assure you now I would have preferred Lucas Neill to have spat at me the day he broke my leg in September 2003.
"I was spat at once in my career. It came during a UEFA Cup game against Celta Vigo in 1998 and the player in question was a Russian midfielder called Aleksandr Mostovoi.
"I was shocked more than angry when he did it because I couldn't believe what had happened."
The dad yesterday denied abusing Carragher: “When we spotted him I was just shouting his name. I was not rude or offensive.
“He responded by spitting at my daughter.
“Carragher comes across on TV as a decent guy who likes a laugh.
“But who would behave in this way? It’s inhuman.
“Who would spit in the face of a 14-year-old girl?”
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