Richard Keys aims dig at Jamie Carragher as football presenter reignites bitter row with Liverpool legend following acrimonious Sky Sports exit
Richard Keys has again criticised Sky Sports’ decision to keep Jamie Carragher on air, joking that it’s ‘okay to spit on teenagers’.
Keys and former colleague Andy Gray left Sky after a series of sexist conversations were picked up and leaked in January 2011. They believed their microphones were switched off.
But Carragher, who had been off British television for a while after being captured on camera spitting out of his car window at another driver, was welcomed back by broadcasters shortly after the controversy in 2018.
Both Keys and Gray left the UK and are now the face of Premier League coverage in the Middle East and North Africa at beIN Sports, while Carragher has remained one of the key analysts for Sky.
Keys has now criticised the decision, claiming there is “no comparison” possible as to which of the two incidents is worse.
Richard Keys (left) took issue with Sky Sports’ decision to retain Jamie Carragher as an analyst
In 2018, the former Liverpool star was banned from commentating for five months
Carragher was caught on video spitting at a car carrying a man and a 14-year-old girl
Talking about The Obi One PodcastKeys said, “If it’s okay to spit on teenagers and still work, then that’s fine. To me, that was a much more serious offense — but I’m not going to pass judgment on that!
I was glad he didn’t [get sacked] because it gave me the opportunity to say to you: when you consider what happened to us, the ‘crimes’ we were accused of (and which we accept) and what he did on film… there is no comparison.
Gray intervened, adding, “But he’s been given a second chance and no one objects to that!”
In 2011, Keys and Gray were sacked by Sky after a series of sexist comments came to light, following the outcry over comments made about race director Sian Massey-Ellis.
He later claimed that Massey-Ellis called the comments “jokes” and that he is in regular contact with the 34-year-old.
“Someone needs to go over there and explain to her what offside is,” Keys had said ahead of Wolves’ Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Gray replied: ‘Can you believe that? A female linesman. That’s exactly why I said women don’t know the offside rule.’
Keys then added: ‘Of course they don’t…urrghhh. The game has gone crazy.’
Meanwhile, Keys asked Sky analyst Jamie Redknapp if he had “done it right” when he mentioned an ex-girlfriend, saying: “You would have gone in there every night and seen Redknapp hanging out the back of the building.”
While Carragher was suspended by bosses Sky Sports in March 2018 after the former Liverpool defender was filmed spitting through his car window at a man who had challenged him. The saliva hit the man’s 14-year-old daughter, who was in the passenger seat.
The man had been teasing Carragher about Manchester United’s win over Liverpool after seeing the Sky pundit driving along the same road in his Range Rover.
In 2011, Keys and his former colleague Andy Gray (left) were fired by Sky after a series of sexist comments came to light
Keys claimed there was ‘no comparison’ between their ‘crimes’ and those faced by Carragher
A distraught Carragher took to Sky News, ITV and the BBC to offer his full apologies, calling it ‘a four or five second moment of madness which is difficult to explain. It feels like an out-of-body event… I have brought shame on the name of Sky Sports.’
Keys and Carragher have previously clashed on social media, after the former Sky Sports presenter accused Carragher of being a “borderline racist” for believing the England national team should always be led by an Englishman.
Back in 2022, after England‘s elimination from the World Cup due to France, Gareth Southgate reflected on his future in the trench.
Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers have been mentioned as possible replacements if Southgate drops out, but Carragher stressed that none of the three candidates should be considered because of their nationality.
“England manager must always be English!” Carragher tweeted.
The former Liverpool defender’s comments sparked an uproar on social media, with Keys hitting out at Carragher for his remarks.
“What kind of nonsense is this? It borders on racism,” Keys responded.
They previously clashed when Carragher said the manager of the England team should always be English, before Keys claimed his views on the issue ‘bordered on racism’
Carragher hit back, suggesting Keys was simply bitter about losing his job as a Sky presenter
‘The England manager should be the best person available. England should not hide behind closed borders and minds.’
Carragher was not prepared to accept Keys’ criticism, calling the 65-year-old a “sad, desperate man”.
“It borders on racism”. I hope you send similar tweets to many journalists who hold the same views, or is it because I work for Sky!” he replied.
“You are a sad, desperate man.”