Gary Neville turned down an invite to be with Sky Sports pundits for Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations following Sunday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur. Although serving as co-commentator at Anfield, the Manchester United legend chose not to join David Jones, Jamie Redknapp, and Daniel Sturridge pitchside.
Liverpool delivered a masterclass, hammering Spurs 5-1, thereby clinching a 20th English title to draw level with United. Goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, alongside Destiny Udogie’s own goal, left the home crowd exhilarated after Dominic Solanke netted first.
At the end of the match, as Liverpool fans celebrated their first in-person Premier League title win with the team, Neville’s absence was noted but hardly unexpected.
Sky Sports typically expects its co-commentators to come back for the post-match chat. Yet when Jones broached the possibility of Neville joining the panel should Liverpool get the necessary point against Spurs, he didn’t beat around the bush.
He retorted: “No. There is no point in me coming down here again. I think the Liverpool fans probably won’t let me get out of the commentary box!”.
With this victory, Liverpool has matched their fierce adversaries, who’ve been on a downward trajectory since Sir Alex hung up his boots in 2013 triumphantly. It’s somewhat poetic that as the Anfield titans bask in glory, United is enduring its worst-ever season in Premier League history.
Ruben Amorim’s squad languishes in 14th place, having already confirmed their lowest league position and points tally, as well as a record number of defeats. During his pre-match commentary, Neville highlighted the significance of Liverpool’s title win and gave a stark assessment of its impact on the atmosphere at Old Trafford.
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“It is a massive deal,” Neville admitted, describing the day as “sobering”. “When you consider the importance of a league title, the managers at Liverpool and United always emphasize that the league is your bread and butter.
“There was a time when you could debate which club was the most successful when United had 20 titles. Yes, Liverpool have more European Cups, but the hard truth is that the debate is over for now until United regain their success and start winning leagues again.
“This should send shockwaves through Old Trafford. If Liverpool win today, they’ll become the most successful club, and that should cause heartache and pain. It took a lot for United to surpass Liverpool, and now that advantage will be lost.”
