Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami always marked the end for me as a coach, Phil Neville admits as he strikes up a ‘hard’ conversation with his lifelong friend David Beckham, who told him he was sacked
- Phil Neville has spoken out for the first time about his departure from Inter Miami
- He said he felt deep down that he was not destined to coach Lionel Messi in MLS
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Phil Neville knew that Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami would probably mean the end of his coaching career, no matter how good his results on the field were.
Neville was sacked on June 1 by Miami co-owner David Beckham, his lifelong friend, just two weeks before Lionel Messi officially signed for the MLS team. He left with the team last in the MLS Eastern Conference after a run of two wins in 13.
But since Messi has joined Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – while Tata Martino replaced Neville as coach – Miami has been transformed. Messi has scored nine goals in six games to propel the team to Saturday’s Leagues Cup final against Nashville – Miami’s first final and first chance to win silverware.
Speak about his departure for the first time Taylor Twellman’s Offside PodcastNeville is candid about the difficult conversation he had with Beckham and insists he doesn’t look at Miami with bitterness.
“I always felt deep down that I wouldn’t be here (in Miami) if he (Messi) came to the club,” said Neville. “And I say I didn’t lack confidence in myself, but this was different, this wasn’t the signing of Gonzalo Higuain or Blaise Matuidi.
Phil Neville has opened up about leaving Inter Miami just before Lionel Messi joined
Messi transformed a struggling Miami team into a winning machine in just a month
Neville admitted that Miami’s results in the weeks before his departure were not good enough
“If you look around the world you see how he has been at other clubs and there have always been certain managers who have managed him. The bottom line for me was, forget about Messi, the results weren’t good enough the last month I was on the job and I knew it. That’s the reason I left.
“When I look in the mirror in the morning and my friends or social media say “it could have been you,” well no, it couldn’t. The results were not good enough. I knew the vision, I knew what the club wanted. I’ve been in football for a long time and sometimes it’s not meant to be. I’m not bitter or twisted or angry.”
Neville spoke glowingly about how Beckham handled his departure and the conversation they had on his last day as Miami coach.
“They were incredibly honest with me,” Neville said. “I’ve had two special moments in my career away from the medals I won, when I left Manchester United and when I left Miami. It was one that kind of filled me with pride with the respect they had for me .
My best friend, one of my lifelong friends, brought the news that I would not be working for Inter Miami and it was very difficult. Hard for David, hard for me, but it was actually a very special moment between two people who have total respect and love for each other.
“I have no bitterness and I don’t look back. Sir Alex Ferguson taught me that, my father taught me that – don’t look back, because if you look back you will end up with pain, anger and bitterness. I’m looking forward to it, I think Miami has given me and my family two and a half of the best years of my life.”
Of course, Messi is not the only world football star who could coach Neville at the moment. Busquets – whom Neville says he spoke to “two or three times” about participating in Miami – and Alba soon followed.
And left-back Alba took over Neville’s son Harvey’s jersey number when he came to Miami.
Messi has scored nine times in just six appearances for Inter Miami since arriving in the US
Neville’s son Harvey plays for Inter Miami had given up his number 18 shirt for Jordi Alba
Alba (center) followed Messi (right) and Sergio Busquets at Miami
“About a week ago my son came home – he had taken number 18 because it was a number I had in my career and Harvey took it,” Neville said. ‘He came home and said ‘daddy, Jordi Alba wants my number 18’. I was like ‘what did you say? I hope you said yes’ and he said ‘well…’ and I almost hit him on the head!
‘This is Jordi Alba – give him your number and clean his shirt every day! I said if I were you I’d ask him to sign his first shirt with ‘to Harvey, from Jordi Alba’.’
Neville also told Twellman about what comes next – and if he has his way, he will stay in MLS.
“This country has been incredible to me,” Neville said. “I loved coaching in the MLS. I love everything about MLS – the football, the styles.
“There have been many challenges. I’ve had brilliant experiences and this was one of the most challenging. It’s a brilliant competition. I feel like I have unfinished business, I want to prove in MLS that I can do a good job.”