Gary Neville has ruled out becoming mayor of Manchester, saying he will not give up football or his family life.
The Manchester United and England legend made the comments while joining Toby Tarrant on Radio X’s The Kickabout, where he also discussed Oasis, Jamie Carragher and the Stone Roses.
Neville was asked about the possibility of running for mayor after praising Andy Burnham for giving the north of England “a voice” and arguing that the region deserves greater equality.
However, the former Manchester United captain was clear that politics would not be enough to tempt him away from football, explaining: “I am not giving up the love of my life, which is my family and football.”
Neville said he wanted to contribute to Manchester and the wider region whenever he could but believed becoming mayor would mean losing too much of the football life he enjoys.
He also revealed the surprising song he would choose for his funeral, naming Oasis track The Masterplan despite joking about the band’s Manchester City connections.
Neville admitted: “They’re a** holes, aren’t they?” before praising what Oasis have achieved for Manchester, music and the wider country, while highlighting Noel Gallagher’s songwriting.
The former footballer explained that he learnt to play The Masterplan on acoustic guitar when he was younger and had always imagined the song being played at his funeral.
His football rivalry with Liverpool also came up during the interview, with Neville reflecting on his relationship with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Neville said he “quite simply despised” Carragher when they were playing but described their current relationship as one built on trust after becoming colleagues on Sky Sports and The Overlap.
He recalled being asked by a Sky producer whether he was happy for Carragher to join Monday Night Football, despite Neville already presenting the programme successfully with Ed Chamberlain.
Neville said he supported the change because bringing someone new into a programme could create a strong partnership, adding that neither he nor Carragher would “sulk” when the other criticised or joked about them.
The conversation also revealed Neville’s role in bringing The Stone Roses’ This Is The One to Manchester United’s Old Trafford as the club’s walkout music.
He recalled the team previously using more traditional music and said the sound of John Squire’s guitar made This Is The One feel right for the stadium.
Neville said: “Every time I go to Old Trafford and hear it, yeah, I get goosebumps.”
The interview brought together several sides of Neville’s life, from his Manchester roots and football career to his broadcasting work and his long-standing connection with the city’s music scene.
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