Gary Neville admits: ‘I’ve chosen business over coaching’ – as he vows to take five years out of football to concentrate on business and punditry
GARY NEVILLE has admitted that he will take five years away from the dugout to focus on his business ventures.
The former Manchester United right back has defended his decision to choose his enterprises over a career in coaching.
Neville, 41, has business interests with Salford City - owned with his Class of '92 pals - and also co-owns Hotel Football, across the road from Old Trafford.
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And he recently unveiled plans to knock down an entire block in Manchester city centre and build two skyscrapers with a five-star hotel and public plaza.
He is also a star pundit on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football coverage - with fellow pundit Jamie Carragher's former club Liverpool facing Neville's United tomorrow.
Both Gary and Phil Neville had stints at Valencia last season, with the elder brother acting as Roy Hodgson's assistant up until England's humiliating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland.
He told the : "People will say I've chose punditry over coaching. No. I've chosen business over coaching.
"The reality is I would have loved to have been at Valencia for 18 months and it didn't work out.
"In the next five years I will be concentrating completely on business, on Salford City, on some education projects and hospitality projects.
"I've committed now. I put two or three things on hold while I was at Valencia and in the summer.
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"And obviously, after the summer I was: 'Right these projects go and we go with them now.
"And they're going. And I'm too integrated into them and at the forefront to go and do something else.
"The new stadium at Moor Lane isn't just building the stadium: it's operating it, it's making sure there is an experience for the fans.
"I won't be doing everything but the direction comes from me and the other lads."
Neville also admitted that he was parachuted in at a difficult time for him in the development of his business, meaning he could not commit fully to his coaching roles.
He now sees that as a mistake.
He added: "The best coaches commit 100 per cent and don't have any distractions. And I've got too many distractions to be a coach. That's the reality.
"I turned down four or five jobs in three years preceding Valencia. I went over to Valencia for the owner and because I have a relationship with him and I would not change that experience for the world.
"I had a wonderful experience, which didn't go as well in results."