Carragher comes clean about Man Utd trial as Gary Neville brands him traitor

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher admitted he once had a trial spell at Manchester United – much to the surprise of Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville.

A boyhood fan of another Reds rival, Everton, Carragher first came into the top-level spotlight in 1997, making his Liverpool debut in a League Cup tie against Middlesbrough – without ever looking back.

Fast forward sixteen years and the defender retired as one of the club's most decorated servants. He made 737 appearances for the club, winning two FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League title.

But just as things might have turned out differently had he perhaps pursued his boyhood affinity with the Toffees, Carragher has now come clean about a short spell he had with the Red Devils, shocking pundit colleague Neville.

“I had a bit of a trial… I went to Man Utd for a while – I never told you,” Carragher exclaimed to Neville, speaking on The Overlap On Tour: Unseen Bits, brought to you by Sky Mobile.

“There was a Sunday team that played a Man United squad but they weren't like Manchester lads; it was like guys from all over the country coming together.

“And I was playing for a Sunday team, so they asked me to play because they were playing Man United. There was no one on my team, so it was to make them a little bit stronger.

“So I played in this match and did pretty well. Nobby Stiles led this team and pulled my father behind it. It was just before I signed the schoolboy forms for Liverpool.

“My dad wants Liverpool to think it wasn't easy to just sign me. So I ended up going to a Man United thing; we stayed Friday and Saturday nights and played on Sundays.

“But what was – and again I say Man United were ahead in the game – all the lads that were there this weekend when we went to the trial, they were all the same lads.”

Asked if he was entered by Neville, who played his entire career at United, Carragher said: “No, I never went. I just went there and my dad just used it. It wasn't even my decision; I was just told I was going to play a game. I remember Ferguson was there.”

“You kept that quiet, you were willing to play for Man Utd,” Marcel replied. “You treacherous traitor. You should be in that programme, Traitors, you.” Carragher then jokingly admitted: “I'll go from Everton to Liverpool to Man Utd – for a few quid I'll do anything!”