Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Beckham’s ex-teammate Neville named coach
After weeks of speculation, it has been made official: Phil Neville has been named Inter Miami CF’s second coach in just as many years.
The announcement was made Monday shortly after the club appointed Chris Henderson as its sporting director and chief soccer officer.
Neville stepped down as England women’s national soccer team coach Monday morning, opening the door for him to become Inter Miami’s second coach after the club “mutually agreed to part ways” with Diego Alonso earlier in the month.
“This is a very young club with a lot of promise and upside, and I am committed to challenging myself, my players and everyone around me to grow and build a competitive soccer culture we can all be proud of,” Neville said in a statement. “This fantas
tic soccer-loving market deserves consistent performances and a winning mentality, and I look forward to getting to work.”
Neville, who turns 44 on Thursday, is a familiar face for Inter Miami’s ownership group.
He was teammates with David Beckham — an Inter Miami co-owner and president of soccer operations — at the Manchester United Academy from 1991-93 and on Manchester United’s senior team from 1994-2003.
They were also teammates on England’s men’s national soccer team and are both co-owners of English Football League Two — the fourth tier of the English football league system — club Salford City along with other former Manchester United players.
“We share a footballing DNA having been trained by some of the best leaders in the game, and it’s those values that I have always wanted running through our club,” Beckham said in a statement, with him and Neville playing for Alex Fergurson — who’s considered one of the greatest soccer managers of all time — at Manchester United.
“Phil has deep experience in football, as a player and as a coach at both club and international level, and over his career he has worked with many of the finest managers and players in the game. Anyone who has played or worked with Phil knows he is a natural leader, and I believe now is the right time for him to join.”
Neville played at Manchester United from 1994-2005, winning six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League once. He finished his playing career with Everton from 2005-13.
Neville held multiple assistant coaching positions — including at Valencia CF, Manchester United and the England men’s U-21s before becoming England’s coach in 2018.
He was expected to leave his position as England’s coach in July after his contract expired, but he left earlier than expected for his first head coaching job at the club level with the hopes of turning Inter Miami around after their disappointing inaugural season.
Inter Miami finished the 2020 regular season with a 7-13-3 record (10th place in the 14-team Eastern Conference) and were eliminated by fellow expansion team Nashville SC in a 3-0 blowout in the playoff ’s play-in round. Both Alonso and former club sporting director and COO Paul McDonough departed from Inter Miami after the season.
At least 13 players from Inter Miami’s inaugural roster won’t rejoin the team for the 2021 season.
“This is just another fantastic opportunity to join a club that’s got unbelievable ambition,” Neville said. “It’s got the same ambition I’ve got.”
Neville sees this opportunity as a fresh start for the club.
“I think that’s the most exciting thing about this opportunity — we have a clean slate to build something that’s bigger and better than anything in America,” Neville said. “Not just in America, but world-renowned. When we talk about the unbelievable facilities and fantastic stadium we’re in, you can have all of things, but without the people inside those buildings, without that culture and values, you have nothing.
“We have a blank canvas. We have a fresh start. We want to build the values that make everyone successful. The foundations are being built at this moment in time and I hope to play a part in that.”