Rio Ferdinand makes thinly-veiled ‘spitting’ jibe at ex-team-mate Jamie Carragher eight years on from schoolgirl controversy – as Man United legend reignites light-hearted feud

Rio Ferdinand has taunted Jamie Carragher for ‘spitting his dummy out’ over an unprompted social media attack on the Man United legend on Sunday afternoon.

Eight years on from the controversy which saw former Liverpool defender Carragher temporarily suspended by Sky Sports for spitting from his car towards a young girl in another vehicle, Ferdinand accused his old England team-mate of ‘spitting feathers’ in an exchange online before United’s win over the Reds at Old Trafford. 

Prior to the big game, Ferdinand shared a throwback image of himself celebrating a United goal during a previous contest against their bitter rivals, adding: ‘Caption this…’

Carragher responded: ”Have some of that bruv, you Scouse xxxx’ probably….. 

‘Not like you to make sure you were in the picture of someone else’s goal. 

Rio Ferdinand has aimed a thinly-veiled ‘spitting’ dig at his old foe Jamie Carragher

Ferdinand said Carragher ‘spat his dummy out’ with an unprompted response to his tweet – eight years after the Liverpool legend spat at a young fan

‘You now carry on this ritual by hanging around mixed zones bothering star players & asking your lackeys to film it!’

Carragher was referring to Ferdinand’s interactions with players behind the scenes at games, with the former United star uploading the exchanges to his YouTube channel.

Ferdinand, taking to the same channel after United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool, directly responded to Carragher’s outburst.

‘Did anyone see what he [Jamie Carragher] wrote back to me?’ Ferdinand began.

‘I thought it was really harsh… I just put a picture of me celebrating goals, we celebrate big moments, I scored a couple of goals against Liverpool, and he tried to hammer me. 

‘He spat his dummy out… he was spitting feathers. He used to be my teammate at England, he carried my wash-bag and carry my boots sometimes when he was in the stands. I thought we always got on…’ 

Ferdinand and Carragher have shared a light-hearted rivalry in recent years, with the pair disagreeing on a whole range of football subjects. 

Carragher once labelled Ferdinand a ‘clown’ after disagreeing with his punditry analysis on a penalty during a Champions League game, while Ferdinand accused Carragher of hypocrisy when he did not criticise close friend Steven Gerrard for moving to Saudi Arabia – having slammed Premier League footballers for doing so.