Phil Neville followed his brother Gary on his retirement broadcast, followed by his brother Gary, and was ruthlessly criticised for his work at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
Gary Neville was a hit with the BBC early in his media career, due to his treatment of brother Phil. Gary, who retired in 2011, was quickly taken to the world of broadcasting and is now one of the most respected critics of British football.
After his own retirement in 2013, Phil decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps, as he did at Manchester United and the UK. Phil began working for the BBC and was part of their commentary team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But unlike Gary’s encouragement start – not primarily co-affiliated, but as a critic – the former Everton captain elicited a negative response, and hundreds of complaints were sent to the BBC during the opening game against Italy with the UK. Following the backlash, Phil felt the need to apologise and admitted that he might have helped viewers fall asleep.
Among his recent appearances on his podcasts, he has been sticking to football for over a decade, and Gary has spoken out frankly about his brother’s media career. The former unit captain discussed the highly misused broadcast production of former teammate Michael Owen, saying, “I thought it was the way he was treated in his early media career, the way people commented on him.”
Ian Wright then suggested that Owen “hang out” to dry out. “Absolutely. Lightley, you know this,” replied Gary. “Cooperative associations are the most difficult.
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“This happened with my brother. Where they put him in his first game, the BBC put him in his first match in the World Cup, England vs. Italy, where 20 million people were watching.
“Sky, with me, when I first joined… that’s still the worst thing I do right now, that’s the toughest thing I do.
“A lot of people don’t see it, but it puts you in bed and softens you. Villa Agains (Manchester) City, not a big game back then. I played a lot of games on MUTV.
“They (the sky) put me in a big game in March. It took them eight months to try me, test me, eat me, have a tough time with me, and bother me.
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“I remember telling the producer in January, ‘This isn’t for me.’ He said, “I stick to it, but I need to have more conversations and be more of myself.”
“I had a lot of advice. I tried out the Michael Owen Premier League match first and to give Phil the World Cup… Honestly, you’re throwing the Lands into the Lions’ nest.”
Unlike Gary, this time in a more positive sense, Phil continued to have a permanent coaching career. His first position as manager was an English woman who led the Lioness to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
After leaving in 2021, Phil took charge of Intermiami, an MLS club co-owned by his best friend David Beckham. Two years after Hot Seat, he was released from duties and soon found his next job with the Portland Timbers, and is on a contract until 2026.
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