Gary Neville has come under fire for his over-enthusiastic reaction to Alexander Isak’s goal during Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup triumph over Liverpool.
Isak doubled the lead for Newcastle in the final with a composed finish following a nod on from Jacob Murphy, prompting Neville to let out a bellowing “Ohhhhhhhhhh”. This response took some fans back to Neville’s notorious scream when Fernando Torres netted against Barcelona in 2012, which saw Chelsea progress through to the Champions League final.
Nonetheless, many followers were less than thrilled, with one fan commenting: “I like Gary Neville in many respects but his constant talking/quipping ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ ing over the commentator esp in key moments is highly irritating.” Another voiced their annoyance, saying: “Yet again. Gary Neville got to do his unnecessary scream to get his voice heard. He is unbearable.” While another suggested: “Can you get Gary Neville to take the microphone away from his mouth before he makes that noise for every single goal?”
Despite the critique, Neville did proceed to describe Isak’s strike as “special”, acknowledging it secured Newcastle their first significant silverware since 1969. On Sky Sports, he stated, “This is really special,” adding, “They [the Newcastle fans] are almost crying, I’m almost crying for them. Alexander Isak, what a finish. What a game.”
Dan Burn earlier gave Newcastle the lead with an excellent header off Kieran Trippier’s corner, and Federico Chiesa nabbed a consolation for Liverpool in stoppage time after a feed from Harvey Elliott.
Despite a late surge from Liverpool, Newcastle secured an unforgettable triumph at Wembley. Overwhelmed with emotion after the final whistle, Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimaraes described the victory as “unbelievable”.
(Image: Getty Images)
“It’s all for these fans,” Guimaraes shared with Sky Sports. “They deserve everything. When I first arrived here, I expressed my desire to make history. We can now proudly proclaim ourselves champions again. This is one of the most memorable days of my life.
“I’m at a loss for words. It’s the best day of my life. For our supporters, it’s akin to winning the World Cup. Many have grown up without witnessing us as champions. In my inaugural year as captain, this is undoubtedly one of the greatest days. This club is like a second home to me.
“We’re creating history. When the day comes for me to depart, I hope the fans will chant my name just as they do for [Alan] Shearer. He sent me a text before the match. I’m incredibly emotional today.”
