Phil Neville has opened up on what life is like working under David Beckham with the former Manchester United teammates having reunited at Inter Miami.
Beckham is currently the president and co-owner of the MLS franchise that was founded back in 2018. Following a three-year spell in management in charge of England Women, Neville was appointed Miami boss in 2021.
Neville and Beckham spent nine years playing together at United and both also currently co-own League Two side Salford City. They have clearly enjoyed a number of different types of working relationships and Neville was full of praise for the way Beckham has supported him at Inter Miami, saying he provides the perfect balance of freedom and involvement.
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Neville told The Athletic: "I think over the two-year cycle and two years of transfer windows we’ve had… In the first window, me, David and Chris (Henderson, sporting director) were working hand-in-hand. We knew we were working together and he wanted to be involved. In the second year, there was a little bit more distance. Why? Because he trusted us.
"And then in this window, it now becomes a case of we need three or four different positions, these are our priorities, and David says: 'OK, good, let me know if you need anything, let me know if you need any advice.' So there’s still that gap in there now - is he invested? Yes. But he probably trusts us more now than he did in the first year.
"I always think with owners, you hear some managers say 'owners interfere'. What does interfere look like? I always think of it as the case where they’re passionate. They own a football club. They spent their money on this stadium, the training ground, on players. I think they earned the right to have a say, to be involved."
Neville added: "David stands up there (in the directors' box). There’s many times that I’d go back to my seat and I see him there and we speak. And I’m like, 'Why would I not speak to a guy that’s probably my best friend, but also one of the best players in the world at a certain time that knows football.' I’m saying, he’s not telling me tactics, it’s just a conversation that two people about football would have.
"I am an owner of a football club (Salford City). There is certain behaviours you want from an owner. There’s times where I’ve been an owner in the past, before I came on with Miami, where maybe I have overstepped the line. Maybe I have gone to training and shouted. But it’s my club, you know what I mean? So no. (David and I) are good."
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