Everton fan and former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher has written in the Telegraph and rejected claims that Jordan Pickford deliberately set out to injure Virgil van Dijk.
The 2-2 draw in the weekend’s Merseyside derby was overshadowed by Pickford’s hefty challenge on the Dutch international, who was later confirmed by Liverpool as needing to undergo knee surgery following damage to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Carragher was clear in his assessment of Pickford’s perspective, stating:
“I cannot agree with the suggestion Jordan Pickford deliberately set out to hurt his rival.
“I know how both feel. For Van Dijk, the torment is physical. For Pickford, it is psychological.
“As a player and now a pundit, you try to assess from a fellow professional’s perspective and – as much as possible – to avoid being accused of double standards. That is why I looked beyond the raw feelings following Pickford’s tackle and saw it for what it was – reckless, not malicious”.
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has since conveyed Jordan Pickford’s regrets and apologies over a ‘mistimed’ challenge that dealt Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk a season-ending injury.
Van Dijk was a notable omission from Liverpool’s submitted 25-man squad list, indicating the defender is highly unlikely to be fit and available until at least the closing of the January transfer window when the registration period re-opens.
Ancelotti has since spoken publicly on the incident, claiming that suggestions that Pickford’s challenge was intentionally malicious and premeditated are ‘too much’. He also sent his best wishes to van Dijk, assuring that everyone at Everton “recover soon and well”.
“To be clear, we are really sorry for the injury of Virgil van Dijk,” Ancelotti told the Everton club website. “Every one of us hopes he can recover soon and well”.
Carragher’s comments were corroborated by Everton’s experienced Italian manager.
“Jordan arrived a little bit later but his intention was to try to reach the ball.
“It was not to hurt Virgil van Dijk. To say it was premeditated, and this and that, in my opinion, is too much. Virgil van Dijk knows this.”
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Carragher’s professional relation to the spotlight thrust upon Pickford is an astute one.
Carragher has leveraged his own background as a footballer to issue a measured, balanced assessment on the issues faced by both van Dijk and Pickford. As both clubs look to move on from the incident ahead to future fixtures, it is refreshing to see a pundit weigh in to refute claims that the potentially season-ending challenge was premeditated.
