September 25th 2024.
David Beckham faced a tough and uncomfortable situation when he had to make the decision to fire a close friend of over 30 years. It was a risk he knew he was taking when he appointed his former Manchester United teammate, Phil Neville, as the manager of his American football club, Inter Miami.
Neville, who was also part of United's renowned Class of '92 with Beckham, left his role as coach of the England women's team to join Inter Miami in January 2021. While the team had a disappointing first season under Neville's leadership, they showed promise in 2022 by reaching the MLS Cup play-offs. However, things took a turn for the worse in 2023 when the team suffered 10 defeats in 13 games, leading to Neville's dismissal.
Even Neville's brother, Gary, who was Beckham's best man at his wedding to Victoria in 1999, was nervous when his sibling took on the job, knowing that it could potentially end in a difficult sacking. On an episode of The Overlap US, Gary admitted, "I was worried because it's inevitable. Football management is temporary, we know at some point you're going to be moved on."
In response, Phil shared that he also had mixed feelings about the opportunity, saying, "The big thing is that you're not just losing a football game but you feel like you're letting a friend down as well." However, he had faith that Beckham would give him time to turn things around, which he did.
Despite the challenges he faced at Inter Miami, Neville was grateful for the opportunity and the support he received from Beckham. He recalls having honest and frank conversations with Beckham about his position as the team's manager, and even offered to shake hands and move on if it was time for him to go. However, he was ultimately able to leave in a way that helped him secure his next job as manager of Portland Timbers.
Reflecting on the moment he was let go, Neville shared that it was probably harder for Beckham than it was for him. "He really didn't want to do it, he was really emotional," Neville said. "I was emotional too but I knew it was coming, so it was probably easier for me."
In the end, Beckham thanked Neville for his contributions to the club and his dedication to bringing success to the city and its fans. While Neville has moved on to manage another MLS team, Inter Miami is now under the leadership of former Argentina player and manager Gerardo Martino. And despite their past, Beckham and Neville remain on good terms.
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