TNT Sports has been called out for asking a player an ‘unfair’ question live on air, and Steven Gerrard has apologized to Nottingham Forest.
Steven Gerrard apologized after sharing a strong opinion about a player live on TNT Sports. Meanwhile, presenter Lynsey Hipgrave was called out for asking Nottingham Forest’s star a very direct question right after the game.
Gerrard joined Joleon Lescott and Hipgrave to cover the match at a rainy Anfield on Saturday, August 29. Liverpool came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Victor Munoz. This was their second draw in a row under new coach Andoni Iraola. Forest put in a great first-half performance and probably deserved all three points.
During the match, fans noticed full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong left Liverpool defenders Jeremy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk exposed at the back. Before the game, Gerrard said he thought Liverpool made a mistake by selling academy graduate Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest. Williams, who played well at Anfield, impressed with his skills.
Gerrard talked about how he saw Williams’ potential early on and praised his attitude. “This player trains like he plays,” Gerrard said. “He comes in every day, does everything right, is professional, and a winner. He’s aggressive and a competitor. We always knew he had talent. If you mix talent with the right work ethic, you can play and stay in the Premier League. I still think he can get even better with time and experience. He’s playing out of position on the left but doing an incredible job. For me, he’s a fantastic full-back, and I’m sorry Forest fans, but Liverpool should have kept him.”
After the match, Williams joined the TNT Sports team again, this time with teammate James McAtee, who was named Player of the Match. Williams probably expected the usual easy questions footballers get on live TV, but was caught off guard when Hipgrave asked him straight whether there was any truth to transfer rumors before the September 1 deadline. Surprised, Williams said, “That’s a bit harsh… I’m focused on Forest, and that’s all I’m thinking about. It’s nice to hear other teams are interested, but I’m a Nottingham Forest player.”
Fans took to social media to voice their thoughts about that sudden question. One said, “No need to ask that right after a game, especially live on TV.” Another wrote, “Why ask silly questions? He just finished playing and wants to talk about that.” A third said, “Really unfair to ask him that right after the match.”
Williams is signed to Forest until 2029 and has been linked with a move to Spurs this summer.