'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jamie Carragher, the ex-Liverpool defender, bagged the Football Supporters’ Federations award for ‘Pundit of the Year’ on Monday. He then trolled his new Monday Night Football colleague, Craig Bellamy.
Former Sky Sports partner Gary Neville was also in contention for the award but was defeated by Carragher. Gary Neville is currently in Spain fulfilling his role as the head coach for Valencia till the end of the season. The opinionated Manchester United legend was replaced by Craig Bellamy in Monday Night Football’s coverage of the match between Everton and Crystal Palace. Carragher welcomed his former Liverpool team mate Craig Bellamy with a typically witty remark, “"the only man we could find who is more unpopular than Gary Neville".
Sky Sports reports that after receiving the award Carragher said,
"We try to analyse games as deeply as possible and hopefully the viewers enjoy it - it looks like they are at the moment, so thank you."
He also went on to say,
"I am accepting this award on behalf of everybody in the football department at Sky Sports. I am very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful team and they make my job so much easier.
"All of us at Sky recognise the part played by you, the supporters, as without you there is no televised football and no commentary. Bless you for all you do for the game and thank you for recognising my contribution to it in this way."
Carragher also tweeted:
Jamie Carragher played for Liverpool his entire careeer. The defender joined the club in 1997 and he then retired in 2013. During this period of time Carragher racked up 737 appearances. Craig Bellamy on the other hand enjoyed two seasons at Anfield, namely 2006/2007 and 2011/2012.
There will not be any permanent replacement for Gary Neville on the Monday Night Football show for the rest of the campaign this season. So it can be safely guessed that every new guest, every Monday night will be in for such a witty introduction by Jamie Carragher.
Carragher beat out former club legends to win the award. The other pundits who were also in contention for the Pundit of the Year award were Pat Nevin, Danny Murphy, Paul Scholes and Ian Wright.
