Jamie Carragher recalls moment he 'almost hit' Liverpool team-mate in on-pitch altercation

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has admitted almost punching former Reds team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa during an on-field altercation over a decade ago.

The two defenders ended up in a scuffle during Liverpool's 2-0 win over West Brom at the Hawthorns back in May 2009 - Arbeloa's last season at Liverpool.

Goals from Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt gave the visitors the victory which condemned the Baggies to relegation down to the Championship.

Carragher was discussing popular Netflix series The Last Dance, which charts the successful Chicago Bulls basketball team of the '90s, when he recounted his scuffle with Arbeloa.

Following release of the documentary, The Bulls' star player Michael Jordan has received some criticism for his intense behaviour towards his teammates.

But Carragher came to his defence when talking to Sky Sports and gave an insight to Jordan's willingness to win.

"He's [Jordan] obviously the best player ever in basketball, I'm obviously nowhere near that in football," the former Reds man said.

"He got into rucks at times with his teammates because he went so close to the line.

"When you're so passionate about something it will push you to the line, now it's very difficult to not then cross that line."

"I was on a football pitch and nearly struck one of my own teammates, or punched, Arbeloa. Now I don't look back at that proud, but that was always going to happen at some stage or another, or the odd little thing in training, because you're so intense.

"You wanted to win, everything mattered and at times you would cross the line."

Carragher went on to explain that the row was sparked by some lazy defending from Arbeloa with Liverpool trying to help Pepe Reina win the Golden Glove as the 2008/09 season came to a close.

He said at the time: "It was just frustration, nothing more, it was over with quickly. We cannot win the league now but there are a number of targets we can aim for."

But Carragher feels the incident only occurred due to his passion for victory, and says he can relate to Jordan's competitive drive.

"Watching that and Michael Jordan and I just absolutely loved how intense the guy was because that's what I'm like with football," he added.

"The drive and relentlessness, I admired it, there's no way I would criticise that, because of what he done for those players around him and where he took his club."