As a footballer, Jamie Carragher split football fans, and not quite down the middle. On one side were the Liverpool fans who revered him - on the other side were everyone else.

But as a boyhood Everton fan who became a Liverpool legend, Carra is more than capable of putting aside his emotions and being professional.

Sky

It's a good job, as this season he takes on the role of Sky Sports pundit. Digital Spy got in touch to ask him all about it.

Were you always planning on becoming a pundit after hanging up your boots?

"Not particularly. Obviously there's always two options - either the media role or the coaching and managing side of it. I got involved in punditry in the Euros last summer. I enjoyed it, it put a seed in my mind and I've come to the end of my career and it was known in the circle I was going to retire, and I got a couple of offers. I didn't really get a job offer in terms of coaching or managing so it was on a plate for me, I couldn't really turn it down."



Is it more or less nerve-wracking being in front of the camera than going out on the pitch?

"It's pretty similar really. The more you get used to it, the more you get accustomed to it. You feel more relaxed. That's the same as football as well... you have to find your feet and bring your character to it. There's lots of games this season - we do 116 games on Sky so I'm sure we'll all have our chance to put our point across and talk about the different teams."



As a one-club man, you were loved by Liverpool fans and probably hated by Man United, Chelsea fans and the rest - can you win them over?

"I hope so! But I'm not really doing it to curry favour with any set of supporters, even Liverpool fans. Just be honest with my football talk about the game and hopefully that will go down well. But I'm certainly not going up to try and keep anyone happy or unhappy. It'll be just me being as honest as I can about the game. Whether it be Liverpool, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal or teams at the bottom."



If friends like Steven Gerrard has a terrible game, will you be able to say it as it is?

"He may be the one difficult one I think! Steven Gerrard. He may get a pass [laughs]. No, I'm sure he knows the role I've got. He knows I'm excited about it and he's given me a lot of support. I've told him he might get a couple of games - a bit of grace - but after that he'll be treated the same as everyone else."



You famously rang up Adrian Durham on TalkSport to defend yourself, can you imagine getting any calls?

"I wouldn't be doing my job right if I didn't get the odd phonecall. That's football. We all get passionate about the game. I got passionate on the pitch, I'm sure I get passionate off the pitch as well. Players may agree or don't agree with things I say, but that's what makes football so great. It's a very opinionated game, we all see things differently and I'll be telling it the way I see it."



A lot of players use Twitter to express themselves now - what do you think about that?

"I'm sure there's good bits and bad bits to it. A lot of players seem to get in trouble with it, but I think if you use it right it can only be a positive thing. But it's not something I'm too involved in, it doesn't interest me too much. I think as long as players are sensible and mature on it it's not too much of a problem, if you bring the problems on to yourself and your own football club then obviously it can cause problems."



Gary Neville has been widely praised by fans of all clubs since he started at Sky Sports - how do you feel he's done and is he a role model for your transition?

"Yeah, I think Gary Neville's been brilliant in going from playing football straight into a punditry role. But I think Gary's been great but Sky have got a great team. Jamie Redknapp's been there a long time. Graeme Souness is obviously another generation - he's been a manager, he's been a player in different countries. He gets a lot of respect from players who remember him as a player or as a manager. Hopefully I can add something to that, because it's a great team and it's great to be part of that. It's like joining a great football team."



How hard is it to balance your level of expertise with talking in a way that won't alienate the fans?

"I'm sure that's something I'll improve on the more I do it really. It's finding your way. Really, you've just got to be yourself. That's what I've got in mind. To be myself, the way I see football, that's why Sky have employed me - because they want me to be me. You have your own style and that will probably evolve as time goes on. It's not something I worry about. I'm just going to talk about football the way I do with my mates. We get passionate but I think that's what makes it great."



What current players do you think would make great pundits?

"I think Danny Murphy - he's at Blackburn at the moment - I think he's got experience of doing bits and bobs. Similar to me, he loves his football, he may go down the coaching or management side, but he's a good talker on the game - he knows the game. He'd be one to look at in the next year or two."



Are you still interested in coaching or management in the future?

"Oh, I think so yeah. It's not something I rule out. Like I said, I came to the end of my career and there was an offer from Sky. There was no offer on the table in terms of coaching or management, so I didn't really have a decision to make. That may come, but if you don't get an offer you can't do it!"



Why did you pick Sky rather than one of its competitors like BT Sport?

"I just think Sky have been there and done it. They've been the best, they've got the most games, they've got the best games. They've got Champion's League - it's what I was involved in as a player, the Champions League and Premier League. That's what Sky do, they're the best at it and I'm joining a great team. You get an offer to join the best, you join them."



The fixture list came out this week - are there any games you especially want to work?

"The first fixtures are always a massive one for everyone. It's the first one, no matter who you play it's huge. In terms of two heavyweights coming up against each other, Manchester United's first home game against Chelsea is a game you look at and think that'd be a great game to be involved in."



Only with Sky Sports can you watch 116 live Barclays Premier League matches, more than ever before, in HD and on mobile and tablet devices

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