Jamie Carragher opens up on Monday Night Football role following Gary Neville exit

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have been warned they have to stick to the facts
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports duty (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football has become staple viewing for football fans in recent years.

As well as getting the final fixture of the Premier League weekend, viewers have also been able to watch expert analysis on the rest of the weekend’s action, usually with big-name special guests giving their take.

Over the years, former rivals Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have struck up an engaging partnership on the show, first with Ed Chamberlain presenting, before David Jones moved into the hot seat in 2016.

Jamie Carragher gives Monday Night Football stance

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher covering Liverpool vs Manchester United for Sky Sports in March 2023.

Neville and Carragher went from bitter rivals on the pitch to broadcasting colleagues (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sky Sports pundit Neville, however – ranked at no.48 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time – has stepped back from the role this season, instead focusing on his role in the Sky Sports commentary box and his appearances as a pundit on their Super Sunday broadcasts.

The former Manchester United one-club man also has a number of other ongoing projects, such as The Overlap and his Stick to Football podcast, plus business ventures such as his stake in League Two side Salford City and his Hotel Football.

Gary Neville working on Sky Sports as part of their coverage of Aston Villa vs Sheffield United in December 2023.

Neville stepped back from his Monday Night Football role earlier this season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Carragher – ranked at No.14 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League defenders of all time – has remained on Monday Night Football and now appears with a rolling roster of guests. He admits that Neville’s decision to step away has not changed his outlook on the show.

"I love Monday Night Football – that almost feels like you're playing the game,” he said The Overlap Fan Debate.

“You've got this buzz a few days before and you think about doing something that someone else hasn't done before.

"I'd hate to be the person that analyses someone else's analysis. I'd rather be the first to set the agenda or the narrative. When I first started, social media was not washing away everyone else's analysis. You go on social media and look at a player, you see a huge thread – and it'll all just be screenshots.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has issued a bold claim regarding Liverpool's chances at success this season

Carragher has opened up on his 'love' for his Monday night football role (Image credit: Getty Images)

"I don't necessarily go on social media to specifically check who has done that, but I do follow the bigger accounts. I think, can I find something that nobody else has caught on to yet."

Carragher’s comments will be welcomed by the show’s fans, as he seems content to stay on the programme - and who knows, he may even be able to convince Neville to appear as a guest one day.

Joe Mewis

For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.