Neville to stay with United for the season

Defender targets coaching role.

MANCHESTER: Gary Neville said he intended to stay with Manchester United for the rest of the season. The 35-year-old full-back announced his retirement with immediate effect on Wednesday, ending a one-club career of some 20 years that yielded eight English titles, a Champions League final triumph and 85 caps among a host of honours.

Neville, speaking to United’s in-house television channel MUTV, said retirement from a career that ended with his appearance against West Brom on New Year’s Day, had been on his mind for some time. The outspoken defender has been linked with both a move into television punditry or a place in United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s backroom staff. But Neville insisted he would not be rushed into a decision regarding his long-term future.

“I am going to stay at the club until the end of the season and do some coaching because I have got my coaching badge to complete,” said Neville. “But at this moment in time my mindset isn’t to go into coaching or management full-time.

“I have been working for a football club every day for 20 years. I definitely want to try and continue my relationship with this club, even if it is just as a fan. But I want to have 12 months to gather my thoughts. I don’t want to rush into another relationship quickly.”

Neville was a member of the celebrated ‘Class of 92’, the United youth side that yielded first-team players Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, who are both still at Old Trafford, and David Beckham.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.