Jamie Carragher should remain in his role with Sky Sports despite being suspended for spitting in the direction of a 14-year-old girl, colleague Gary Neville has said.
Carragher was filmed spitting towards a car in which the driver was filming as he goaded the former Anfield star about Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 14-year-old sat in the passenger seat claimed some of the spit had hit her and, in a statement, Sky said they had suspended Carragher for actions "well below the standards we expect of our people".
Carragher has telephoned the family to apologise and, in an interview on Sky News, described his actions as a "moment of madness".
And former Manchester United defender Neville, who works with Carragher as a pundit for Sky Sports, posted on Twitter: "I've just watched @Carra23 say sorry. No excuses he's made a big mistake.
"He's massively passionate about football and he's overstepped the mark and shouldn't have reacted.
"I've been on TV for three years with him and imo [in my opinion] this isolated incident shouldn't stop us working together."
Asked to explain why he should remain with the broadcaster, Carragher, who said he has not offered his resignation, told Sky News: "There's no doubt what I have done is disgusting, I'm getting vilified and rightly so.
"What I would hope for the public who have known me for almost 25 years in the public eye is that five seconds of madness will not take over everything I've done now.
"Hopefully going forward I can show the real me. I don't think that is a real representation of me."
In addition to being suspended by Sky, Carragher has been dropped by Danish broadcaster TV3 for their coverage of United's Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Sevilla at Old Trafford.
