By Martin Graham
Former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has expressed growing nerves over his old club’s upcoming Europa League final clash with Tottenham Hotspur on 21 May in Bilbao. While the match offers a valuable route into next season’s Champions League, Neville described having an uneasy feeling about the fixture due to what is at stake.
Despite his belief that United can pull off a win, he admitted the prospect of defeat is difficult to ignore. Neville labeled the game “massive,” citing the financial and reputational implications, including an estimated £100 million windfall for the victor.
Reflecting on his playing days, Neville explained that his position as a right-back shaped his cautious mindset. Unlike players in more attacking roles, defenders, he said, often focus on avoiding mistakes rather than making game-winning contributions. In contrast, he noted that former teammate Roy Keane had called it an exciting encounter, underlining their differing mentalities.
Nevertheless, Neville remains hopeful. He pointed out that, even during disappointing league seasons, United have consistently managed to reach finals and lift trophies, including under managers Erik ten Hag, José Mourinho, and Louis van Gaal. He called this ability to succeed in cup competitions a valuable trait for the club, especially given the struggles of their current league campaign.
Neville was speaking from Salford City’s Moor Lane stadium following a significant restructuring of the club’s ownership. He and David Beckham will continue as minority stakeholders, marking a new chapter in their involvement with the League Two side, which they first invested in back in 2014 as part of the ‘Class of 92’.
Salford gained attention through a series of behind-the-scenes documentaries charting their dramatic rise from the lower tiers to the professional leagues. However, in contrast to the recent rise of Wrexham, who have now reached the Championship, Salford have remained stuck in League Two since 2019. They missed their latest chance at promotion after failing to beat Carlisle United, who were already relegated.
Neville acknowledged that recent player recruitment had fallen short and the team’s results had not lived up to expectations. Over the past five years, he admitted, the club has underperformed on the pitch.
With financial backing from Singaporean businessman Peter Lim coming to an end – following years of subsidizing losses totaling £28 million – Neville and Beckham formed a group of nine new investors. Neville revealed he turned down a potential takeover deal that would have made the club part of a multi-club system. Concerned about losing control and becoming “a stranger” at his own club, he instead chose to safeguard his and Beckham’s role in shaping Salford’s future.
Neville emphasized that the goal now is to run Salford in a financially responsible way while maintaining low ticket prices for fans. Balancing that with ambitions for promotion is challenging, particularly given the club’s relatively small supporter base within the English Football League.
He reiterated his strong support for the proposed independent football regulator, arguing that progress has already been made in improving governance, particularly in the EFL’s ownership rules – referencing the collapse of Bury as a cautionary tale.
Neville also highlighted broader concerns about the growing disparity between leagues. He pointed to the recurring trend of all three promoted clubs getting relegated from the Premier League in consecutive seasons, blaming the impact of parachute payments. According to him, these financial safety nets are creating structural divides throughout the football pyramid, which he believes could have long-term negative consequences.
