“I was a very good player, but I’m a great pundit” Jamie Carragher discusses his evolution from pitch to studio
Immediately after hanging up his boots, Jamie Carragher moved into the media world, with Sky Sports signing up the former Liverpool and England defender at the start of the 2013/14 season.
Over the past 13 years, Carragher has become of the most recognisable and distinct voices in football broadcasting, whether that was sparring with Gary Neville on Monday Night Football back in the day, or showing his lighter side on shows such as Stick to Football.
But how does he assess his own evolution from player to pundit? And how does he compare himself with his former on-pitch rival Neville?
Carragher on going from a player to pundit
“There are parts of understanding football where Gary’s on a completely different level to me – his understanding of how the leagues work, or the EFL,” Carragher tells FourFourTwo, referencing Neville’s role as co-owner of League Two club Salford City.
“He’s in meetings because he’s an owner, and he had a really good take on things like Covid, when there was no football going on, and also things like a football regulator and how deals are done, whereas I don’t. He’s an authority on subjects like that. And he’s also the authority on winning the Premier League – I have to accept that.”
For Carragher, research, preparation and tactical insight is where he excels in front of camera – even if on a show such as Stick to Football, that can get overshadowed by a witty one-liner from someone else on the panel. “It can be a little frustrating,” Carragher smiles.
“But that’s the nature of the show. If I make a point, then someone comes out with, ‘It’s just 11 vs 11, it’s just 22 men kicking the ball around’, you can think, ‘What’s f**king the point in anything!’”
For Carragher, though, it’s this detail and alternative ways of analysing the game that keeps him engaged.
“But everybody sees the game in a different way, and I love the details – that’s what gets my juices flowing,” he continues. “Finding something or a bit of analysis that no one else has seen.
“A lot of the time there are these myths in football, about things that happened years ago, but when you actually look at the detail, they didn’t f**king happen!”
Given his love for detail, how does Carragher view this stage of his career in football, compared to his playing days? “I was a very good player, but I’m a great pundit,” he jokes.
“Modest!” laughs Neville, sat beside him. “As for me, I always said that on my tombstone, it would say ‘Six out of 10’. I like the idea of being consistent.
“I don’t think I’m better as a pundit or player, I think I’m consistent.”
