Jamie Carragher’s true feelings on Monday Night Football since Gary Neville decision

Sky Sports star Jamie Carragher has spoken about working on Monday Night Football and how he feels since fellow pundit Gary Neville took a step back from the show

Jamie Carragher insists he still “loves” Monday Night Football despite Gary Neville having taken a step back from the iconic show. Carragher joined the Sky Sports programme as a pundit in August 2013, with his first game being a fixture between Manchester City and Newcastle.

In the years that followed, the Liverpool legend built up a brilliant rapport with his former rival, ex-Manchester United captain Neville, while Ed Chamberlin presented the show. David Jones has been the regular presenter in recent years.

Neville had joined the MNF team two years prior to Carragher as a replacement pundit for Andy Gray. Him and Carragher grew in popularity and enjoyed various moments on air together, ranging from heated debates to cheeky jibes.

However, Neville from the beginning of the current 2024/25 Premier League season has not appeared on the show, instead focusing on his commentary duties and appearances on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday.

The former England right-back also has other Sky duties such as his interviews for The Overlap and the Stick to Football podcast, as well as various business interests like Hotel Football and his stake in League Two club Salford City to keep him busy.

He confirmed his decision to step away from the show in October by admitting: “So tomorrow, I’m expected to do set-pieces, whereas with Sky, on Monday Night Football, there are some set pieces which I prepare for – but now I don’t do Monday Night Football anymore, I don’t do set-pieces anymore.”

Carragher, meanwhile, still regularly provides his analysis on MNF alongside one-off guests, while he continues to appear on Stick to Football and The Overlap Fan Debate show. And his recent comments indicate that, unlike Neville, he wants to continue his role on the show for the foreseeable future.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, the former Reds centre-back indicated Neville’s absence hasn’t bothered him. He 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.”

Carragher is now sometimes joined by pundit Karen Carney and occasionally the likes of Roy Keane and Thierry Henry, with Jones having been the show’s presenter since 2016.

While we may still see Neville pop up on the programme in the future, it seems the focus has shifted towards special guest appearances rather than the classic Neville and Carragher duo that viewers have come to know and love.

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