Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football has become staple viewing for football fans in recent years.
As well as getting the final fixture of the Premier League weekend, viewers have also been able to watch expert analysis on the rest of the weekend’s action, usually with big-name special guests giving their take.
Over the years, former rivals Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have struck up an engaging partnership on the show, first with Ed Chamberlain presenting, before David Jones moved into the hot seat in 2016.
Sky Sports pundit Neville, however – ranked at no.48 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest Premier League players of all time – has stepped back from the role this season, instead focusing on his role in the Sky Sports commentary box and his appearances as a pundit on their Super Sunday broadcasts.
The former Manchester United one-club man also has a number of other ongoing projects, such as The Overlap and his Stick to Football podcast, plus business ventures such as his stake in League Two side Salford City and his Hotel Football.
Carragher – ranked at No.14 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best Premier League defenders of all time – has remained on Monday Night Football and now appears with a rolling roster of guests. He admits that Neville’s decision to step away has not changed his outlook on the show.
“I love Monday Night Football – that almost feels like you’re playing the game,” he said The Overlap Fan Debate.
“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’s comments will be welcomed by the show’s fans, as he seems content to stay on the programme – and who knows, he may even be able to convince Neville to appear as a guest one day.
