Jamie Carragher sparks old feud with Rio Ferdinand just minutes before Man Utd vs Liverpool game
The long-running rivalry between former England teammates Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand flared up again ahead of Sunday’s big Premier League game between Manchester United and Liverpool.
Over the years, their relationship has gotten pretty tense, with several public disagreements. Carragher once called Ferdinand a “fan boy” of Cristiano Ronaldo, while Ferdinand called Carragher “ignorant” after some comments about the Africa Cup of Nations.
Their rivalry usually heats up around the Manchester United vs. Liverpool matches. For example, after Liverpool thrashed United 7-0 at Anfield in 2023, Ferdinand criticized Carragher, Graeme Souness, and the Liverpool team, saying they had a “small club mentality.” This was right after United lost 1-0 to Bournemouth.
Ferdinand said, “The way Souness and Carragher were celebrating and provoking Roy Keane and Gary Neville, and then their own team ended up doing the same against us.”
Before this Sunday’s game at Old Trafford, Ferdinand shared a photo of himself celebrating a goal against Liverpool from September 2004, when United won 2-1 thanks to two goals from Mikael Silvestre. He captioned it, “Caption this.”
Carragher quickly fired back, joking, “’Have some of that bruv, you Scouse xxxx.’ Not like you to be in someone else’s goal photo.” He added, “Now you keep hanging around mixed zones, bothering star players and asking your mates to film it!”
Back in the 2023 Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and AC Milan, Carragher called Ferdinand a “clown” after Ferdinand said a penalty decision was “stonewall.” When Micah Richards asked about it, Carragher said, “Rio Ferdinand. I’m happy to call him a clown.”
Ferdinand responded, “Whenever I see him, it’s all love! We hug, shake hands, and laugh. I don’t get why he came at me with hostility—it’s strange. We’ve been on the same show, we text each other, and he used to carry my boots when we played for England. He’s always been kind.
“The only thing I can think of is maybe it was during Premier League Hall of Fame week. Otherwise, we’re cool. I just don’t understand the sudden bad vibes. I only have good energy for him.
“He always messages me—that’s why it’s weird. We’ve been teammates, he’s shown me love. I want to know where all this negative energy is coming from. I’ll ask him next time I see him.”