In the video obtained
by the
Mirror, Liverpudlian Carragher exchanges waves with the girl's
dad. Carragher then winds down his window while the girl's dad winds down his
passenger-side window. The dad can then be heard shouting: "Unlucky Jamie
lad. Two, one."
Carragher
reacts by leaning out of his window and spitting towards the car, hitting the
girl, who is sitting in the front passenger seat. Speaking to the BBC on
Monday, he said: "It looks awful and I accept that. It's not something
I've done before and not something I'll do again.
"It's
a stain on my character and I have to accept that." Carragher,
who has two children, said he would condemn someone else had they behaved in a
similar way. "If
I was watching someone do that, I'd be commenting or tweeting about it
myself," he said. "There's not a person in the world who can condone
spitting no matter what's gone on.
"I
knew there was someone else in the car, and I knew it was a female, but I
didn't know it was a young girl. "When
I lost it, my rage was focused on the man across me with a camera in his hand,
but no matter what he was doing my reaction was unacceptable." 'I have to accept
whatever comes my way'.
Greater
Manchester Police said on Monday they were not investigating the incident, and
had received no complaint from the man driving the car Carragher spat at. Carragher,
who said he had apologised over the phone to the family involved, said he would
accept any consequences.
He said:
"I'm in no position to question or disagree if someone wants to have a pop
or the police want to speak to me. I've done a bad thing and have to accept
whatever comes my way. "I'm
upset for them, my family and everyone involved. It's been something we all
could have done without but all I can do now is apologise."
Asked if
he had explained the incident to his family yet, Carragher said he had not as
he had travelled down to London early on Monday. "They
will be aware of the media storm," he said. "I've let my family down
but I've let the family in the car opposite me down. They're my main worry for
yesterday and today.
"That
family won't be used to the media storm and being dragged into it. "I
got in touch with them last night and today is about going public and
apologising to the family and the public watching who were offended and rightly
so."
Will he stay as a Sky
pundit?
Sky's
statement did not say how long Carragher's suspension would last. Asked
about his future with the company, he said: "We've met up today and it was
about finding out the facts. "They're
disappointed I've dragged their name through the mud. That's not what they're
about and I've let them down big time.
"I
love my job and would love the opportunity to stay. "Hopefully
I'll be judged not right now but over a longer period of time and this incident
won't cloud all of it but it's a big incident and it won't go away."
Carragher
was due to act as a pundit for Danish television channel TV3 Sport - which is
part of the Modern Times Group media company - on Tuesday. MTG Sport
executive vice-president Peter Norrelund said his company had sent an employee
to speak to Carragher before deciding what further action to take.
"I
want to listen to his version," he said. "With the impact of the
story there was no need to send him to Old Trafford for the game."
Neville backing for
Carragher
Former
Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville works alongside Carragher
for Sky Sports, and believes his colleague should keep his role. "I've
just watched Jamie Carragher say sorry," he
said. "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 three years with him and, in my opinion, this isolated incident
shouldn't stop us working together."
Sports
minister Tracey Crouch said Carragher's behaviour was "disgusting"
and Sky Sports were right to suspend him. "I
think spitting is disgusting full stop," she said at the Checkatrade EFL
Community Club of the Year Awards. "I think it's right Sky Sports have
taken the action.
"I
know he's apologised, he's right to apologise, it was absolutely disgusting. "He
has said himself he's a father and he wouldn't be happy with someone spitting
at his daughter. "It's
right to apologise and Sky Sports are right to have taken the decision they
have."