Gary Neville admits he has been too harsh about some players during his punditry career (Image: Stick To Football / Sky Bet / YouTube)
Gary Neville has admitted that ‘harsh’ criticisms of David Luiz and Loris Karius are the biggest regrets of his punditry career. The Manchester United icon labelled Luiz a “PlayStation footballer” early in his time at Sky Sports.
Neville has scaled down on some of the scathing takes he made when he first stepped into broadcasting. However, the ex-England international wishes he had also refrained from calling Chelsea “billion-pound bottle jobs” as they fell to a disappointing defeat in the Carabao Cup final against a youthful Liverpool side earlier this year.
“I wish I had not said the David Luiz line, about him being a ‘PlayStation player’,” Neville told Stick To Football.
“I wish I had not said ‘billion-[pound] bottle jobs’. They’re harsh lines that stain a group of players or a manager. David Luiz has never got rid of that. It’s a cheap shot really. It’s that line of humour meets cheap shot.”
Neville also had strong feelings on former Liverpool goalkeeper Karius, even before the German’s blunders in the 2018 Champions League final. The 49-year-old insisted that the Reds could not win the Premier League with Karius in goal.
Rather awkwardly, Neville later bumped into the shot-stopper while he was on holiday in Italy. However, Karius did not take him to task on his previous comments.
“Karius, the Liverpool goalkeeper, the young lad – I’ve been quite direct about him for a period of two to three months. Liverpool were getting better under Jurgen Klopp and I remember saying that they’ll never ever win the league with that guy [Karius] in the net.
“It’s a strong line for a young goalkeeper. It was probably true five months later back in the Champions League final.
Gary Neville labelled David Luiz a ‘PlayStation footballer’ (Image: Getty)
“One time I went to Italy and went to a hotel. I walked into the gym for a session and there was just this big bloke lifting massive weights – it was Karius!
“He could have done many things there and could have had a go at me. It went right through my head on what I said about him, and I know he would’ve known that. But he said, ‘Nice to see you’, and I felt guilty bumping into someone I’ve given a harsh line to.”
Karius’ pair of errors six years ago cost Liverpool the Champions League final, with Klopp’s side falling to a 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1990716/gary-neville-biggest-regret-liverpool-chelsea-man-utd