Carragher apologises to Villa for 'wrong' language

Former England defender Jamie Carragher has offered an apology to Aston Villa and its supporters for his recent use of "clumsy and wrong" language when discussing the club's potential to attract Unai Emery as their manager. The club's statement, signed by chairman Nassef Sawiris, cited Carragher's comments on the Stick to Football podcast, in which he implied Emery would be interested in managing a "giant" club like Manchester United, and told Villa fans to "shut up," followed by the assertion that "Aston Villa will never be Manchester United."

Upon learning of the backlash, Carragher clarified on social media that his comments were meant to be "tongue in cheek." He assured Villa fans that his language was "clumsy and wrong," and acknowledged that his words did not convey the intended tone. Carragher further emphasized that his remarks were made in jest and that he had been praising Emery and Aston Villa for years.

He reiterated this sentiment on the Overlap Daily podcast, stating that his message to Villa fans was meant to be "in jest" and that his view was that Emery is the best manager in the league.