Manchester United legend Gary Neville has stressed he is not taking on a role at the club despite being appointed to a group to evaluate a regeneration project around Old Trafford.
United confirmed last week they had formed the ‘Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force’ to assess how their home stadium and the surrounding areas can be redeveloped, with new shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe stressing he wants to construct a ground ‘on the scale of Wembley’.
Lord Sebastian Coe, former Chair of the organising committee for the 2012 London Olympics, has been appointed as head of the task force, while he will be supported by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Neville.
Neville has been critical of United’s Glazer owners since turning to punditry after retiring in 2011, and the former right-back has insisted he is not working for the club and is instead involved due to his ownership of Hotel Football, which sits opposite Old Trafford.
“What’s quite clear is that I won’t take a role at Manchester United,” Neville said. “I’ve been very critical of the ownership over the last couple of years and I have not been offered a role at Manchester United.
“But, what I have always been incredibly passionate about is the surroundings, it doesn’t make me cry but it’s sad.
Looking to keep up to date with everything happening at Old Trafford? Click this link or scan the QR code below to follow 90min’s Man Utd WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to receive all the latest news!
“I have a hotel within that acreage that Manchester United own and every time I look across that industrial wasteland and look across at the east of Manchester and see what is being built, one of the best indoor musicaries in the world, one of the best women’s and youth stadiums, one of the best training grounds, one of the most fantastic health and education centres.
“I think there has been no development at all for 15, 20 years around Old Trafford. You have got to win on the football pitch as a football club, but you have to win off the pitch and you have got to generate something around your ground that inspires the local community and inspires millions of people who come to Old Trafford every single year.
“There are jobs to be created and there’s houses to build, there’s commercial buildings to be worked in, there’s education and health and there’s all those things that can happen like a world of Manchester United I have always called it. I am not saying they are some of the things that will exist in this master plan, but I was asked to form and be part of a group that would regenerate Old Trafford and I do feel like that is where I feel most passionate about.
“It’s what I do in my non-football week, I love property and developing stuff because I have done it for 25, 30 years of my life. I also love the idea of creating a place, and building things that are really important to not only people who live in Manchester, but also people who come to Manchester and visit Manchester every single year. I am proud to be part of it, it is the only area I would be part of and could bring real benefit to the club, and we will see what happens in the next sort of months and years.
“There is a lot of work to do and a lot of questions to answer.”
