GARY NEVILLE: Roy Keane’s magic, Carrick as MUFC boss & a venture into politics? | OFF THE BALL BREAKFAST

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So the night before the Republic of Ireland, hopefully, be chechier in Prague.

There is a live show taking part at the three arena.

It is the stars of the overlap, starring Wayne Rooney, Jamie Carrer.

It's all going to be heard by Kelly Cates and by our next guest going to be there as

well.

Gary Neville.

How are you?

You're coming back to Dublin.

I'm coming back to Dublin, yeah.

I just said about 20 minutes ago, I always love coming over.

I always feel like you get a very warm welcome when it's a great, great atmosphere and

energy about the place.

You did a live show with us back in the day, yourself and Roy Keane, when you were a

Cadbury ambassador.

Oh, I did.

Yeah.

What do you remember about it?

I remember it being a little bit feisty at certain parts through the actual production,

but I actually quite enjoyed it.

I mean, obviously, when Roy, we've done a few shows with Roy in Ireland in different

places, and it's electric to be fair when he's on Paul McGraw came out after a show

that we did later than that one, and it was that was special as well.

But yeah, I remember it being quite interesting in parts.

Yeah, very interesting.

He went off on one about your old Boston, by all accounts, it made the WhatsApp group.

With Wes Brown in studio the next week, he was like, yeah, it was flying around the WhatsApp

groups.

You should have seen it.

In some ways, it's gone down in history for us, because legend has it, you walked

off on one.

We should be doing this.

This is class.

Well, look, we knocked on the live event up until that point and thought, okay, there's

a bit of a sort of, it was, how long ago was it now, five, six years ago?

It's September 2019.

Wow.

It's seven years ago.

Six, seven years ago.

I mean, look, yeah, it was the first time I've done a live show, well, in Ireland, but

of that nature, and I think it certainly gave us an idea that we might be able to go

and do some more.

We've got to stop doing them again now, Pat, from this one.

This is the only one we've done for a couple of years.

Oh, why?

Why is that?

Yeah.

Do you have something?

I think it's just a case that we do that we love to studio, so we do stick to football

every couple of weeks and record for three or four hours together, and it feels like

actually, oh, maybe you feel like that when you go in there in the morning, where you

just feel comfortable.

You feel you've got your space around you, and I think there's just a feeling that we

look being in our studio in Manchester, we love sort of recording, we love the idea of

sort of doing that every couple of weeks, and if you put the live shows in, they're a

big commitment.

So just maybe just committing more, maybe to the stuff that we're doing in the studio

than maybe live.

So this is at the tree arena, so it's just self-wain Rooney and Jamie Caragher with Kelly

Kates presenting.

So there's no right, but will it be, I was themed?

I was themed.

Yeah, will there be Irish teams brought up?

How will it work?

Well, it may have some Irish things brought up, it certainly will, but I think that's

effective.

If you just said to me that 15 years ago that I would be going into live shows with

three people with Liverpool heritage, and I said, that's the definitely pissing me

of failing that in my post football career, but I'm wondering over with Kelly Kates, Jamie

and with obviously way, I mean, we'll cover all things that people would expect us to

cover.

Things obviously with Ireland, our experiences in Ireland, obviously in Ireland, Liverpool,

Arsenal, the title race, and other things that go on.

I have one last one on the live show you did with Roy that night.

We, I don't think fully appreciated the quality of his comic timing until that nice, where

he just came out with this, and his ability to tell stories.

And you guys obviously had seen him in a totally different environment in the change

room.

Did you know he was going to be able to do that in terms of media, because up until

that point he'd done very limited short form, started the pitch for ITV.

It was kind of after that that he started doing the longer form stuff for you guys on

Sky.

I think to be honest, I always think if you put people in the right environment with

the right people around them where they feel comfortable, you get to see the real

them.

And when there's obviously been these, these descriptions of Roy over the last 10, 15

years, I was in a dressing room within for 10 years, and what Roy to be fair is he's

one of the best storytellers that you'll ever meet.

So if you sit with Roy for an hour and a half, two hours, which, you know, I have the

sort of pleasure of doing sort of regularly, he will tell stories from childhood, from going

back home the previous week, you know, he's over in Ireland a lot, and he's a great storyteller,

he's got a great sort of humour, and people always remember the sort of, the sort of moments

where maybe he's sat at something, or he's got a little bit angry at the moment during

his career, and he referred back to those moments, like the tunnel incident with the air

and me, they'll refer back to these types of moments.

But if you're in his company, you can get close to Roy and get to know him, he's very

funny, he's compelling listening, and he's, I said before, a really good storyteller.

Yeah, like I presume what we see every week on Stuk the Football is exactly what you were

used to for years, Gary, because I don't think he's ever missed an episode, is he?

Do you know something?

That it's interesting that you say that, I remember Roy commits full stop when Roy's, but that's

the one thing about to be fair, that united dressing room and Roy's set the standards

in that dressing room, but the manager was similar, if you say you're going to do something

you do it, and you turn up and be there and be on time.

So to be fair to Roy, we set the calendar at the start of the season all the way through

to the end of the season, and there's the odd moment where maybe a guest will say, can

we move it an hour, one way or the other, because there's the other flying in from somewhere

or they're getting a train, and you're always with a little bit of anticipation sort of

boring in Roy, and he's like, I said this in my calendar six months ago, and to be fair,

he just wants people to commit and do what they say they're going to do, which actually

is a rare trait at times of leaders basically, and he doesn't change things, he's six to

what he says he's going to do, he turns up, he commits holy to it, and you're absolutely

right, he's not missed one episode, there's only me and him, I've never missed an episode

in I think the three or four years. Now, to be fair, I have to say we knew that Gill

had other commitments with League of the Row, we knew that Cara did Champions League, and

we knew that Ryty had the odd commitment on the women's football for ITV or on the channel.

So we knew about the other three, and that's why we have Paul Stolz and Wayne Rue, you

come in when one of those three are missing, but me and Roy to be fair at the constant

on every single show would not miss one yet.

Actually, there is an Irish team this week and stick to football, you're pictured in

a car city jersey in the promo for this week's episode.

Yeah, so what happened, every so often, your Royal go back to Ireland, and someone from

Cork, you'll go back to Cork, obviously, and someone will give him a couple of kicks,

and what I think had happened was that he'd met with some lads, they'd give him a kick

for me, Gill, right, and Cara with our numbers on the back.

So I got mine before the show, and sometimes when I get given something, or maybe right

in those odd yields, we just put it on. It to be fair is a gift, so it's just showing

off that gift, but it's also showing off, I think, a little bit of the heritage of what's

important to the people we have around the table.

Let's talk, Michael Carrick. I mean, I didn't see this commentary, it's gone that well.

I know he did very well first time around too, and now, of course, the inevitable calls

game after game is, do you give this guy the job full time?

Where do you sit in that this morning?

Yeah, I mean, look, to be fair, I was very clear before Michael got offered the job,

at the time it was rude, Michael or Ollie, I said, look, whatever happens when they

this manager comes in, whoever they are, not three of them alike, looks a bit, got incredible

amount of time for all three of them. When Michael got it, I was quite clear. Managing

United is just still going to get the very best that they can in the world to take the

club on in the next few years. I'm still at that opinion. However, it gets harder by

the week when Michael, to be fair, is delivering the performances in result of years.

The reason I say that they should still pursue the best manager in the world is that the

last four managed to get United, Ollie, Ralph Ranier, Eric Tenhaag and Rubin Ammarim,

have been what I would say potentially great managers, rather than great managers they

have. They've not been at that top level. None of them managed super clubs with the

scrutiny of the level of United. I felt a few months ago, and I don't think we should

come off track because of eight, nine, ten results. Ultimately, there should be a Lewis

Enrique, Caliwant, a lot of it, a Thomas Tuckle. People who've lived at that highest level

with the high level of pressure and scrutiny, who will attract the best players in the world

to the club. Now, what I would say is the more that Michael does and the more the team

play, it's getting more difficult to sort of keep that opinion. But for now, I would

still keep that. If Manchester United can get an Enrique, an Angelotic and a Tuckle, they

should appoint that manager. If they can't, and they're going a layer below that, I still

think then that Michael comes into play and maybe could get the job because obviously

there was a risk, a greater risk with managers that sort of leveled down below the ones

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Do you have any one outstanding candidates out of the tree you mentioned there?

I want to say two colorigenings of his contract running out with England. And the World Cup

come into an end. But now he's obviously resigned for England, which I think to be fair

makes it very difficult for that to happen. I'm not saying it's impossible, but Manchester

United need to have their manager in place so that they can go into a recruitment cycle

knowing who it is. I think Enrique is one that ultimately is achieved unbelievable things

at Paris Saint-Germain and obviously at Barcelona. He's not done England yet. Does he want

to do what Pep's done, which is take on different sort of what would be countries and win

leagues in different countries. So he would be an outstanding candidate and to a lot he

would be another. But I'm talking about now for Michael not to get it, it would have

to be one of these super managers ultimately their leads.

Well, I think that's quite fair. It is unusual time for Manchester United and that there's

so much time between games, Gary. It doesn't feel real because it looks like they're going

to get European football. It looks like they're going to get the Champions League right

now. So things are going to change dramatically. So if it is Michael Carrick, he's going to

have, he's going to change from manager to the end of season, one game a week to every

three days, relentless, have to take care of the whole club. And suddenly that's a hugely

different job if he does get it.

Look, if Michael gets the job full time, it becomes a completely different animal for him.

However, what I don't want to do because I was watching live all those games of Ruben

Amarim towards the end. And it was, it was, it was a lot. I mean, anybody who was in that

stadium with me, and there was certainly 5,000 in there with me every single week for about

10 matches over two months, it was desperate. So I don't want to downplay Michael's achievement.

It's just because he's got three weeks and he hasn't got any sort of what'll be challenges

in midweek because what he's done in terms of transformation is incredible. I never,

no one would have ever expected that Manchester United could go from the levels of performances

and results that they did in November and December, and early January, to being where they

are now. So he's done an incredible job. He's got a great temperament, Michael. He's a brilliant

man. He knows the game. He's a thinker. He's intelligent. He's got a lot of good coaches

around him, particularly Steve Holland. So I don't want to downplay anything that he's

a cheek because it will be wrong because to be fair, if you set him up three months ago,

it's where we'd be. I'd say you're mad. However, what I would say is you're right. Next season

will be a completely different kettle of fish. Can I ask you a football related, but not

actually a football question. Irish people are very familiar with the career trajectory of

Declan Kelly in the Cancelo group, and he was on the late show recently when he had Tom

Brady over. And I'm just really interested. You recently sold a stake to global radio. So you're

obviously got the business side of things down and the football side of things down. What's next

for you? Declan obviously has a long track record of involvement with politics. Is that something

that you're interested in? Is it a natural segue for you? Absolutely not. I mean, everybody asks

me that question because obviously sometimes I do come into politics over here in England,

but absolutely not. I will not be going in. I mean, to be fair, if you think about it logically,

the deal that I've just done would be global for the overlap, the commitments that I've made

with Declan to concealow and to solve the city, the proctories that two third, one of them

you can see behind me that we're building in Manchester, you can't go on being politics and do

the things that I'm doing in the committee to for the next five, six, seven years. So it's impossible

for me to go into politics because I'd have to basically give up the things that I love. And

you know something, there's one big thing. I mean, in case I haven't got, because I haven't got

Chris Sibley at this particular size a lot, but you've got Chris Sibley heavily for going

on watching Arsenal, if you remember earlier on in the season, I will never have someone tell me

that I can't go on watching my team play football at the weekend impossible. I will always watch

solvety to emancipate every single week from the greatest things in my life. And being a politician

means you have to go around, you communicate the weekend, you have to commit to that. I'm not

going to do that. I'm not going to give up watching football every single weekend. I love it too much.

There is a world in which politics changes and people bend to the characters and decide that

they actually want the leadership that you're offering them. I don't know, look, I don't know about

that. I think ultimately, I've got, look, I think I have locally in Manchester, I do believe I

contribute enormously to the local landscape in terms of jobs, investment, promoting

our city, being someone who champions what would be people in our city. But I'd have to give up

basically everything that I love doing, the podcasts with Roy with Carrot with Jill. I'd have to

give up the football at the weekends with Sky and commentating on match and watching solvent.

I'd have to give up building things and doing things and going sort of what would be

enjoying the things that I do in my office every single day. And I've worked really hard 15

years for that. I'm not saying that people shouldn't give themselves a public service. I'm not saying

that shouldn't be the case. However, you know, ultimately I feel right now that I'm at a point

whereby I love doing what I'm doing and football is a massive part of my life and my family is a

massive part of my life. And I don't want to give that up. We're nearly wrapped here, Gary. I have

to ask you a question because you often are increasing or asking these type of questions to other

people. But in terms of the wingers and forwards that you came up against stretcher career,

who provided you the most trouble? It might not even be the biggest names, but who of you kind

of chillers thinking about? Do you know something? The three of four that I think that I knew when I was

going into a game that it was 50-50 whether I would come out in football terms alive or not

as a right back. Because I mean, you think of Mark over Mars, that was, you know, but I can also

think of an Irish-wing Denging Duff. I am Robin Figo when I played against him or

you know, players of that ilk, Del Piero that played for the events. The players that he played

against and the problem is for Defender. You go into the game as a defender and I've said this

before football players going to matches, looking to enjoy themselves and they're excited. Defenders

don't really do that in my opinion because with the reality, the only thing we can do is lose

our team in the game. I scored seven goals and, you know, 25 assists or 30 assists in 700 games

or 600 games. So I'm going out there to stop my opponent. And the problem is when you've got

those types of players I've just mentioned, you can take the ball off them 20 times out of 21,

but that's 21st time. They can go past your score or goal. That's all that will be remembered.

And that's the sort of, if you like, the problem with playing against players like that,

they always wanted the ball. And the big thing about those players is they could go either way.

They could go left foot or right foot, they're most of them. So those players with the ones that

can think of off the top of my head would cause me a big problem. We probably don't talk about

Damien Doff and off. What was his specific threat? Was it just the pace and relentlessness of him

running at you? How did that work? I tell you what it was. He was intelligent for start.

He's strong, low center of gravity, but actually had the ability to go either way, almost like a quick

turn. I could jink it. He had a very good movement with him in the sort of open body. And when he

was at Chelsea, at that point where he was, I think at his best, he was a hell of a player,

by the way. That Joe's 18 that had him and Robin wide. And they could move, by the way,

they could switch wing, the drug were up front. That was a hell of a front three to play against.

He was a good player, Damien Doff. Don't get the credit he deserves.

I enjoyed you talking about Romario and Sikto Fupo. That's what actually prompted me to ask you this

question. The way you talked about him was this mythical figure. Romario was the best player

ever played against, but he was, that was when I played center back. So I played center back for

England against, it was actually the tone of our against Brazil. Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, and he played

up front with Ronaldo in that game, the Brazilian Ronaldo, obviously. And he was, I've never seen

it in like it. And to be fair, I'd watched him in 94. If you remember that game in 94, where

Barcelona beat United 4-0. That's what I was thinking of, yeah. Roy was actually played. I was sub,

and I was watching him that night obviously close up. So the experience of watching him that night

and then playing against him for Brazil and England for Brazil against Brazil for England,

that was where I say, Romario's the best player I've ever seen, right? That's thoughtfully fair enough.

Gary, good stuff. Enjoy the game. Great to talk to you. Thanks very much.

Thanks very much. All the best. Thank you. Thanks. Bye-bye.

Great to be remembered as that nice. You never know, Gary, you never know. He's busy boy.

Very busy, yeah. What can we didn't get to there? It is interesting, like the class 92 kind of

increasingly ridiculed by social media. I don't know what to be like, but they have an agenda,

you know, like the post-schools. Can I? Instagram story. Yeah, go on. Ask you though, is that? So,

obviously, the schools said that we got that wrong. He did. He came out and said on his own

podcast, I think, Nicky Button, Paddy McGinnis. He loves Michael Carrick. Great time for him.

And when you read it in his voice with the lack of punctuation, you're like, okay, it does kind of

make sense. Well, you see, tonally, people are defined by, you know, it's not so much the words.

It's the way you say things. People remember. But the schools has that demeanor.

Is has that all now not stopped? Well, it's not because they're winning the game. It's not

it's stupid. I really, because I actually think it got a certain point, maybe three or four

weeks ago. I don't know if people remember this, that people were having an almighty goal at

Gary never pass schools, Roy Keane, etc. All that vintage about like, they're so negative about

united. They're negative about united because there's stopped to be negative about like,

that's all it was. They were just analyzing what they saw. And like, people complain about

the media and journalists that are just that they don't, they don't ask the tough questions anymore.

Bring back Vincent Brown, you know, he holds people to account. And then as soon as people start

doing that, as soon as that happens, their cues are being overly negative. So I think that's

it's just a really annoying reality of the reaction to media. I personally had no problem.

With the way Guy never talked about united when it was going badly, because when it goes well,

he'll also praise them. And so does Paul schools. The meaner is different. There might be a bit

better about certain things that have happened the last decade about the way the club has run,

and compared to each their time, of course, it's a massive underperformance. Of course it is.

So no wonder there are a bit annoyed about it. What's the problem?

The the allegation was that they were cashing in, of course, the misery of the club. Yeah, and

they're talking about the club that we all talk about. We're all cashing in and it like,

we just don't get the money for it, but we're cashing in on the way we talk about it.

Everyone talks about it. Anyway, we would have been there all day with that one.

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