Jamie Carragher has apologised after spitting into the face of the 14-year-old daughter of a Manchester United fan.

The Liverpool legend was branded as “disgusting” by the mum of the shocked girl.

Carragher was caught on camera aiming a mouthful saliva at the passenger window of a car containing the 14-year-old United fan and her dad after Saturday’s Red Devils victory over the Anfield outfit, the Mirror reports .

She claimed the spittle hit her on the forehead, making her cry.

The dad told how he had been having “a bit of banter” with the former defender which turned ugly after he mentioned the 2-1 scoreline. And he insisted the TV star must have seen his daughter was in the passenger seat.

Carragher, who had been covering the match as a SKY Sports pundit, last night phoned the girl and her father and said: “I just want to apologise and I hope you are OK.” The youngster told him: “OK, thanks for apologising.”

He had earlier admitted he was in the wrong but claimed he lost the plot after the ribbing went on for too long.

The 40-year-old said: “It was a bit more than, ‘Hiya Jamie, it was 2-1’. It went on for two or three times. I drove away at first and it just continued.

"I lost my head. I shouldn’t have done it but I was thinking what is a grown man doing, carrying on like that two or three times with his daughter in the car?”

In footage of the incident shot by the girl’s dad, she can be heard saying: “He spat on me.” He asks her: “Where did it hit you?” She replies: “On my face.”

The girl’s 38-year-old mum was furious at dad-of-two Carragher for ­spitting at a child.

She said: “I was extremely angry and disappointed that he could even bring himself to do something like that. Looking at her, you know she is a child.

“What did she do wrong? She did not do anything wrong. Spitting at someone is the lowest of the low. It is disgusting.

“In all the years I’ve watched football, isn’t it all about banter?

“And he could not take that little bit of banter? It was nothing. I could ­understand if someone was in his face, giving him abuse.”

The schoolgirl told of her shock after the incident. She said: “I have never been spat at by anyone before. I thought, ‘Why has he done that’. I thought I had done ­something wrong.

“People in school take the mick and it is just a laugh. Someone like him who is older should be able to take a joke.”

Her dad told how they spotted Carragher about two miles from Old Trafford after the clash.

He said he took his phone out and started filming. In the footage, Carragher appears to lower his window and the man winds down the glass in the passenger door.

The United fan added: “He looked at me and waved, I waved back and then he put his window down.

“I said, ‘Hey Jamie, good result, 2-1’ and he sort of looked at me and I said, ‘2-1, ha ha’ and his face just changed. I could just see him lurch towards his window and spit.

“I was stunned. I had not insulted him. I had not sworn at him. I have not got out and banged on his car. I have not done anything abusive to him, I’ve not stuck two fingers up at him.

“I’ve met footballers before and they have always been very accommodating. I thought, ‘Jamie Carragher, he is going to be up for a laugh.’ So when he did spit I was taken aback.

“I looked at my daughter and she was tearing up. I said d'id he hit you?' and she said, ‘He hit me in the face.’

“For a grown man to do that to a girl who had not done anything. She was sat in a passenger seat while her dad was trying to have a bit of harmless banter.

“There is no two ways about it. He saw her.”

The dad claimed moments later Carragher pulled up on the driver’s side of his car and gave him a thumbs up. He added: “I was angry and upset because my daughter was crying. I could not believe what had happened.

“She was crying. She said, ‘I’m ­embarrassed, he has just spat in my face. I don’t want to talk about it.’”

The girl also claimed she was sure Carragher saw her in the passengers seat.

She said: “Hundred per cent, because I was right in the way. I did not say anything. I was just sat there looking out of the window.”

But both the mum and dad thanked Carragher for phoning and apologising.

The Bootle-born former player won 38 caps for England before he retired from the game in 2013.

Got a story or an issue you want us to investigate? Want to tell us about something going on where you live? Let us know - in complete confidence - by emailing newsdesk@men-news.co.uk, calling us on 0161 211 2323, tweeting us @MENnewsdesk or messaging us on our Facebook page . You can also send us a story tip using the form here .