Jamie Carragher hit out at Lord Sugar on Monday morning, calling him a ‘f***ing idiot’ on Twitter after using his tribute to Gerard Houllier to have a dig at Piers Morgan.
Houllier, the former Liverpool and Aston Villa manager, died at the age of 73 just three weeks after having aortic aneurysm surgery in Paris.
The Frenchman, who also managed Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, had a long history of medical issues, most notably a heart problem and high blood pressure, but the cause of his death remains unknown.
Tributes poured in on social media but Carragher, the former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit who played under Houllier at Anfield, took offence to Lord Sugar’s post.
The Apprentice star aimed a gentle dig at Morgan, his long-term Twitter sparring partner, to claim he would use Houllier’s death to ‘tell every one how he knew him so well’ on Good Morning Britain.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher hit out at Lord Sugar, calling him a ‘f***ing idiot’ on Twitter after using his tribute to Gerard Houllier to have a dig at Piers Morgan
Sky Sports pundit Carragher (pictured last month, left) was less than impressed that Lord Sugar (right) used Houllier’s death to have a dig at Good Morning Britain host Morgan
Morgan (pictured left on Monday’s Good Morning Britain) has an ongoing Twitter feud with Lord Sugar
Houllier, pictured in 2002, died at the age of 73 just three weeks after having aortic aneurysm surgery in Paris.
Lord Sugar, who also spelt the Frenchman’s name incorrectly, wrote: ‘Sad news on Gerard Houlier. Nice fellow.
‘I can imagine that @piersmorgan will devote half @gmb show telling every one how he knew him so well and go back ages’.
Carragher was less than impressed with the comment and snapped back, writing: ‘Delete this you f***ing idiot.’
An hour after the post, Lord Sugar did apologise but only for spelling Houllier’s surname wrong.
He also replied ‘hah’ to a follower’s reply that joked ‘Morgan taught him French probably’.
BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker also felt the wrath of Lord Sugar after replying to the initial tweet with: ‘There is a time and a place Lord Sugar. May I humbly suggest that this neither the time nor the place.’
Lord Sugar replied: ‘May I suggest you get a life, chill out see the truth and irony in my comment and mind your own bloody business’.
Lord Sugar apologised for the insensitive post, but only for spelling Houllier’s surname wrong
Lord Sugar also told the host of BBC’s Breakfast, Dan Walker, to ‘get a life’ and ‘mind your own bloody business’
Lord Sugar replied ‘hah’ to a follower’s reply that joked ‘Morgan taught him French probably’
Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann also hit out at the host of BBC’s The Apprentice
Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann also hit out at Lord Sugar, writing: ‘You obviously didn’t know him otherwise you’d pay him the respect he deserved.
‘One of the few gentleman in the football world, which can’t be said of yourself.’
Earlier on Monday, Carragher tweeted: ‘Absolutely devastated by the news about Gerard Houllier, I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool.
‘Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person & as a player & got @LFC back winning trophies. RIP Boss.’
Houllier, who led Liverpool to a unique cup treble in 2001, was described by his former players and colleagues today as a ‘great manager and a genuinely caring man’ and a ‘true gentleman of the game’ who ‘always put others first’.
Houllier celebrates with the UEFA Cup trophy after his Liverpool side beat Alaves in the final in Dortmund in May 2001
Houllier, pictured with his wife Isabelle in 2016, had a long history of medical issues
A fan favourite at Anfield, Houllier suffered a life-threatening vascular problem during a Premier League match against Leeds in 2001. Later, his spell at Villa was interrupted by health problems and he never returned to day-to-day coaching.
French radio station RMC and sports newspaper L’Equipe reported that Houllier died after having a heart operation in Paris.
According to L’Equipe journalist Vincent Duluc, Houllier underwent aortic aneurysm surgery three weeks ago and was discharged from a Paris hospital and returned home on Sunday.
He reportedly sent a text message at the weekend saying: ‘I am struggling, but I am going to come out of this.’
In October 2001, Houllier fell ill at half-time during Liverpool’s match against Leeds and was diagnosed with an aortic dissection which required 11 hours of emergency surgery and led to a five-month spell out of the dugout.
Houllier, who had suffered a heart condition known as ‘dissection of the aorta’, eventually left Liverpool in 2004.
His wife, Isabelle, was instrumental in him quitting football – with her concerns about returning to the rigours of Premier League management leading to him stepping away from coaching. The couple had two sons.