Jamie Carragher, a Liverpool legend and renowned Sky Sports pundit, has recently made headlines for his comments on the best football TV shows. Notably, he left out BBC's flagship show "Match of the Day" from his list.
Carragher hung up his boots in 2013 after an illustrious career with Liverpool where he won nine major trophies including the 2005 Champions League. He soon signed a deal to become a Sky Sports pundit and quickly rose to prominence as one of the most insightful analysts in sports broadcasting. Often teaming up with former rival Gary Neville, Carragher has carved out an impressive media career that spans multiple platforms.
In addition to his work with Sky, Carragher has also joined forces with Thierry Henry and Micah Richard on CBS. This move further solidified his status as a household name among football fans.
CBS Show and MNF ahead of MOTD
Despite its popularity among viewers, "Match of the Day" was conspicuously absent from Carragher’s list of top football programmes on TV. This omission suggests that despite its long-standing reputation and dedicated fanbase, Carragher does not consider it at the pinnacle of sports programming.
Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, said:
“I want to be the best at what I do. I love the fact that I can look back at my football career and go, 17 years at Liverpool, 737 games. it’s a good chunk of my life, a good thing, I want to do that with the TV and football, doing the best shows.
“I think I’m on the two best football shows, in terms of Monday Night Football and the CBS Show that we do that goes out in America, but you see the clips online for the Champions League. So, I’m on the best show on the Premier League, the best show on the Champions League.
“And I think I’m on the best podcast–besides your own–on Stick to Football. I get stopped in the street by people about all three shows I’ve just mentioned there. That makes me proud but I want to keep going, making the best TV, and keep pushing it to be as good as it possibly can be.”
This comes at an interesting time for "Match Of The Day", which is set for significant changes in its presenting lineup following Gary Lineker's departure at season-end after hosting since 1999.
Major shake-up for Match Of The Day
In December last year it was reported that Kelly Cates would be one of three new hosts next season alongside Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan - marking a major shake-up for "Match Of The Day".
Cates' potential move to join this iconic show could be seen as a significant loss for Sky Sports where she established herself as one of their leading presenters since rejoining in 2016. The 49-year-old is already a familiar face on BBC Sport as a host on Radio Five Live.
Carragher's comments and the impending changes to "Match of the Day" highlight the dynamic nature of sports broadcasting. As presenters move between platforms and shows evolve, it will be interesting to see how these shifts impact viewer preferences and shape the future of football programming.
