Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, has recently opened up about his experience working on Monday Night Football (MNF) following the decision of fellow pundit Gary Neville to step back from the show.
Carragher joined the Sky Sports programme as a pundit in August 2013, debuting in a fixture between Manchester City and Newcastle. Over time, he built an impressive rapport with former rival and ex-Manchester United captain Neville. Their camaraderie was further enhanced by Ed Chamberlin who initially presented the show before David Jones took over in recent years.
Neville had joined MNF two years prior to Carragher as a replacement pundit for Andy Gray. Together, they grew in popularity due to their engaging moments on air that ranged from heated debates to cheeky jibes.
Shift of focus
However, since the beginning of 2024/25 Premier League season, there has been a noticeable change - Neville no longer appears on MNF. Instead, he is focusing more on his commentary duties and appearances on Sky Sports' Super Sunday.
The former England right-back also juggles other responsibilities such as interviews for The Overlap and Stick to Football podcast along with various business interests like Hotel Football and his stake in League Two club Salford City.
He confirmed his decision publicly stating that while previously he prepared set-pieces for MNF; now that he doesn't do it anymore – neither does he prepare set-pieces anymore.
Life after Neville
Despite this shift away from what viewers have come accustomed to seeing -the classic duo of Neville-Carragher, Carragher continues to provide his analysis on MNF alongside one-off guests. He also appears on Stick to Football and The Overlap Fan Debate show.
In a recent episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Carragher indicated that Neville's absence hasn't bothered him. He is now sometimes joined by pundit Karen Carney and occasionally the likes of Roy Keane and Thierry Henry.
Jamie Carragher, Liverpool legend, said:
“I love Monday Night Football – that almost feels like you’re playing the game. 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.
“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.”
While there may be occasional appearances from Neville in the future, it seems that MNF has shifted its focus towards special guest appearances rather than relying solely on the classic duo viewers have come to know and love.
