Gary Neville has claimed that the Premier League are too “frightened” to publicly make the case for a summer restart.

The Premier League, which is considering a proposed takeover of Newcastle United, was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic – and there are tentative plans to restart behind closed doors next month.

Neville said on Twitter: “The PL are having a (coronavirus) nightmare. They keep spouting ‘health first’, but then brief constantly ‘we have to restart’.

“I’d respect them more if they said ‘we accept the increase in health risk, but it’s one we are willing to take’. They won’t as they are frightened to death!”

Asked by a Twitter user what would happen if someone died as a result of the restart, Neville added: “That’s why we haven’t heard one single prominent CEO/chairman/owner or executive open his mouth to back the restart! Brief, brief, brief! Scared to death of the liability and blame.”