Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has given a "footballer's perspective" of Luis Suarez's bite on Branislav Ivanovic.
Suarez sunk his teeth in the Chelsea defender's arm in the second half of the sides' 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday and has been widely condemned for the incident since.
However, Carragher has said that while he does not condone the actions of his teammate, the incident was nowhere near as bad as some dangerous tackles that are occasionally seen in the game.
"I would like to [put] forward a thought from a footballer's perspective about the incident," Carragher wrote in his column in the Daily Mail. "The bite was shocking, no question, and everyone who has seen it was amazed. Yet was it worse than a challenge that could end someone's career?
"I know what it is like to have your leg broken by a reckless tackle. Lucas Neill cost me six months of my career in September 2003 when he played for Blackburn. Would I have preferred to have been bitten? Absolutely.
"I suspect that Branislav Ivanovic, who has conducted himself with great credit in the aftermath, would agree. You can get up and carry on after a skirmish. If someone shatters your leg, you wonder whether you will play again."
Suarez accepted a charge of violent conduct from the Football Association yesterday.
Paul Gorst
