Carragher beats Usain Bolt to ball in race – but still suffers embarrassment
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Jamie Carragher incredibly beat Usain Bolt in a race to the ball with the fastest man of all time during Soccer Aid.
Liverpool legend Carragher took on 100-metre world record holder Bolt as England faced a World XI in the annual charity match.
Carragher, who was never known for his pace in his playing days, somehow the better of his lightning quick opponent, clearing the danger as the sprint great chased a long ball from team-mate Dermot Kennedy.
But the former Reds defender still suffered embarrassment as the ball hit him on the back of the head as he ducked an an aerial challenge.
Saturday's match at the Etihad raised a record £13million to help UNICEF UK support children around the world.
England eventually lost 3-0 despite Carragher keeping Bolt in his pocket with the help of centre-half partner and fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
The Jamaican star, wearing the number 9.58 on his back to represent his 100m world record, was lively in the opening stages, and shot wide of David James' goal when he should have scored after being played through one-on-one.
Bolt was dragged down just outside the penalty box by Neville on another occasion, while the wily Carragher used all his defensive nous as he fouled the 35-year-old on multiple occasions to avoid being beaten for pace.
Remarkably, Bolt wasn't the quickest on the pitch on the pitch – with singer-songwriter Tom Grennan posting a fastest time of 32km/h.
Who would you like to see line up in next year's Soccer Aid? Have your say in the comments below
Grennan starred on the left for the World XI, and stopped Carragher in his tracks with an expertly-timed first-half tackle – earning himself a bad-tempered shove from the former Liverpool defender.
Carragher also pushed Kem Cetinay to the ground, with the Love Island star scooping the man-of-the-match award after scoring two goals before comedian Lee Mack added a late third.
Fans were split on Carragher's performance, with some impressed by the way he kept Bolt in his pocket, while others took issue with his overly physical approach.
One viewer tweeted: "Carragher is handling Bolt too easily, while another agreed, saying: "Carragher taking out Usain Bolt is very funny to me. Beauty of soccer aid."
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Another fan posted: "Neville and Carragher are the best CB partnership I never wanted to see."
But one supporter said Carragher had "lost it cause Grennan and Kem played well against him," while another tweeted: "Kem has bantered Carragher so much to a point where Jamie is throwing a hissy fit on the pitch."
Before Saturday night's match, Soccer Aid had raised more than £36m since it was started in 2006.
But the 2021 edition pulled in an incredible £13,014,769 – the most in Soccer Aid history – with donations still open.
- Gary Neville
- Jamie Carragher
- Love Island
- Liverpool FC
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