Gary Neville's Simon Mignolet criticism angers Peter Schmeichel

Simon Mignolet

Peter Schmeichel has accused his former Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville of "a character assassination" on Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Sky Sports pundit Neville criticised Mignolet's performance in the Merseyside derby last month, saying he should have kept out Phil Jagielka's long-range late strike for Everton.

Simon Mignolet
"What was done on Monday Night Football was out of order because it was a really, really good shot" - Schmeichel

Schmeichel said he was "shocked" when he heard Neville's comments.

In response, Neville later wrote on Twitter "get over it".

"Haha! Every time a keeper gets criticised it's personal! He made a mistake 'Get over it'," the former England right-back said.external-link

Match of the Day's Gary Lineker:
My critique would be, If you're a football critic, you deserve to be criticised for criticising a footballer.

Former Liverpool defender and Neville's fellow pundit Jamie Carragher was also critical of Mignolet's performance against Everton.

"It was a character assassination that Gary Neville did to Simon Mignolet," Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I have to say I don't think the boy has done too bad since that night where he was taken apart by Carragher and Neville.

"It's very difficult to go on the pitch, everyone will be watching him, and everyone will be saying 'Oh this is what Neville's said, and this is what Carragher's said'."

Peter Schmeichel defends Simon Mignolet after recent criticism from Gary Neville
Gary Neville, left, and Peter Schmeichel, right, were Manchester United team-mates between 1992 and 1999

Jagielka's late goal earned Everton a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, who had led through Steven Gerarrd's opener.

Neville acknowledged in his critique of Mignolet, who joined Liverpool from Sunderland for £9m in June 2013, that it was an "amazing strike" by Jagielka and that he was a "harsh" judge.

However, he also questioned some of Mignolet's performances from last season.

Schmeichel added: "I'm looking at the goals and I'm thinking, 'What do you expect? Do you really honestly expect him to save everything?'.

"I just think what was done on Monday Night Football was out of order because it was a really, really good shot, and it was demonstrated how low he was, but by someone who's played right-back all his life."