‘Said no’ - Gary Neville reveals why he rejected chance to be Newcastle United manager

Gary Neville has revealed that Newcastle United asked to speak to him over a potential managerial role at the club. Neville, who has had just one spell as a manager, enduring a difficult three months as Valencia manager back in 2015/16, revealed that the Magpies had made an approach for him, before rejecting the chance to continue his managerial career.

Neville also revealed that Middlesbrough and Derby County had also shown interest in appointing him as manager. Speaking on the Stick to Football Podcast alongside Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Jill Scott, Neville said: “I took the Valencia job purely because of the fact I knew the owner, I was loyal to him and I felt like I owed him something because he believed in me in terms of the businesses and stuff.

“ I had been asked to go to Middlesbrough for an interview, Newcastle had asked to speak to me and a couple of other clubs, Derby had asked to speak to me all in those previous three years when I worked for Sky.

“I had said no to every one because it wasn’t what I wanted to be. I had started my businesses, I had started my business career, I didn’t want to be a coach.

“I had said no to Newcastle in a conversation, I have never said this publicly, but it was someone I knew from Sky had a contact at Newcastle who said they wanted to speak to me. Someone from Sky set me up with Middlesbrough as well, believe it or not, saying ‘look they want to have a conversation with you’. I’m not saying that would have got me the job, but it could have got me the job, they wanted to speak to me.

He continued: “I didn’t want to be a manager. I didn’t want to be a coach, I genuinely didn’t.”

Since leaving Valencia in March 2016, Neville has not had another job in management and has instead switched his focus to punditry duties, business ventures and his role as part-owner of League Two side Salford City.