Manchester United are set to embark on a new chapter under Ruben Amorim, but Gary Neville will miss the historic moment.
The Red Devils are gearing up for their Premier League clash against Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon, marking Amorim’s debut in the dugout following his appointment as Erik ten Hag’s successor.
The 39-year-old arrives at Old Trafford with a glowing reputation after clinching the Portuguese league title with Sporting Lisbon last term.
Despite the fixture being aired live on Sky Sports, Neville, a staple of Super Sunday analysis, has confirmed he won’t be present in East Anglia to witness the beginning of the Amorim era.
The former United full-back, who was on hand to provide commentary for Manchester City’s shock 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday Night Football, will instead be tuning in from the comfort of his home.
Reflecting on the upcoming managerial debut, Neville shared his thoughts on the Gary Neville podcast for Sky Sports: “It will be really interesting to watch. I’m intrigued to be sitting at home tomorrow, watching Manchester United on Super Sunday with a new manager and a new system.”
He added that there would be no rush to judgment on Amorim’s first day at the helm, saying: “Ultimately, there will be no judgement tomorrow [Sunday] as it’s just a case of understanding what’s going to happen and how the players are going to adapt after just a few days of training.”
United legend Neville has been notably absent from his regular slot on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football in recent weeks. Instead, he’s been lending his expertise to NBC’s Premier League coverage, as part of the US broadcaster’s partnership with Sky.
His interview with Amorim was broadcasted on Sky before the match, however, where Neville apologised directly for his criticism of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro’s trips to the United States.
“I made a comment this week about Casemiro and Marcus Rashford travelling to America in their few days off,” he explained. “It was just me thinking as a Manchester United player when I played here.
“You’ve got a few days off, the club are 13th in the league, the manager has just been sacked, it’s a challenging part of the season and the new manager is about to come in.
“And that focus and preparation and every single little detail is really important, and I said I don’t think I’d have chosen that trip to go to America with the time difference.
“I did get it wrong – they went to New York rather than Portland so I apologise for that. But there’s still a 5-6 hour time difference, they’re on planes, Casemiro’s 30 years of age.”
