Jamie Carragher has apologised to Aston Villa, the club’s owners and their fans for using “clumsy and wrong” language when linking manager Unai Emery with becoming Manchester United head coach.

On Friday, Villa said they would initiate legal action against the former England defender for what they described as “unacceptable insults”.

The club’s statement, signed by chairman Nassef Sawiris, referred to comments made by Carragher on the Stick to Football podcast, when he suggested Emery would want to manage a “giant” club.

He also told the club’s fans to shut up, adding: “Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”

Posting on social media on Saturday, Carragher said his comments were intended to be “tongue in cheek”.

“I’d like to apologise to Aston Villa, the owners and their fans,” the pundit wrote.

“My language this week was clumsy and wrong.

“I can assure Villa fans it was tongue in cheek but I can understand it’s not come across that way, so apologies.”

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick’s position is hanging in the balance following a dismal start to the season.

Referring to former Paris St-Germain and Arsenal boss Emery, Carragher said on Stick to Football: “Surely he would want that opportunity to manage a giant again.

“There is a chain in football, whether you like it or not.

“So Real Madrid will take Manchester United‘s best player, they did it with [Cristiano] Ronaldo. And there will be teams below Aston Villa, and they’ll take their players or manager, so shut the [expletive] up Aston Villa fans. Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”

After his comments attracted criticism from Villa fans, Carragher responded on social media, stating that telling them to shut up had been “a joke” and he had been praising Emery and the club “for years”.

He reiterated on the Overlap Daily podcast that his message to Villa fans had been meant “in jest”, adding: “I just think Unai Emery is the best manager in the league and if you’re Man Utd you’re thinking, what’s the best we can get?”