Gary Neville steps into new role at Man Utd after brutal Sir Alex Ferguson axe

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has been representing the club on a freelance basis following the news that Sir Alex Ferguson’s lucrative ambassadorial contract is set to end. Ferguson, who led the club to an era of glory, including the Treble in 1999, had been earning millions from his ambassadorial role.

However, new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been implementing cost-cutting measures since taking over the football operations, and terminating Ferguson’s expensive contract is the latest move.

Several other ex-United players have different ambassadorial roles with varying responsibilities. Neville, who is also part of Ratcliffe’s stadium task force exploring plans for a ‘Wembley of the North’, recently represented United in India.

The 49-year-old was a guest speaker at the Minerva Academy in Mohali as part of his trip to India for the Apollo Tyres flagship grassroots football programme.

He appeared on the ‘United We Play’ programme, which Apollo Tyres claims is aimed at “enabling our next-generation players to reach their optimum performance by unlocking their potential.”

Neville has kept himself busy with a variety of roles and commitments after his illustrious playing career at United.

Neville’s recent appearance in India was reportedly a freelance gig, alongside his regular commentary stints for broadcasters in the UK and the US.

At the event, he delivered a speech against an impressive backdrop featuring the iconic Manchester United badge.

In other news, Ferguson found himself spending Saturday away from the familiar territory of Old Trafford following revelations that his ambassadorial contract was set to end.

Instead, the legendary manager took the time to support Aberdeen at Parkhead, where, in a spirited display, they managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Celtic despite a two-goal deficit.

Amidst these developments, it was also divulged that the architect of all 13 of United’s Premier League triumphs faced a dressing room ban.

Despite his absence, loyal fans didn’t hesitate to vocalise their backing for the 82-year-old during the match.

United demonstrated resilience on the pitch, replicating last season’s comeback against Brentford by overturning a 1-0 half-time disadvantage to claim a 2-1 victory.

Reflecting on the win, Erik ten Hag commended his team’s defensive fortitude and improving offensive execution.

He highlighted: “We defend very well as a team; we have four clean sheets in the Premier League, and it shows the organisation is very good.

“We’ve created lots of chances, coming into the right spots, but the conversion was not of the level we can expect. Today, we did everything right, and you see, we have players who can finish high-quality chances.

“In the second half, there were slight changes, we fill the pockets and have better intensity for the counter-press. Also, the first half wasn’t bad, and we had some good moments, and some good chances, but didn’t score. In the second half, we scored and everyone is happy.”