Neville: I had to call him out on Twitter!
Manchester United legend Gary Neville will resume his on-pitch rivalry with fellow Sky Sports broadcaster and Liverpool mainstay Jamie Carragher on Saturday afternoon.
The pair were stalwarts of their respective sides for over a decade as England’s two most famous clubs had some memorable contests at Old Trafford and Anfield.
Neville retired in 2011, with Carragher following a couple of years later, and, since then, they have struck up an entertaining friendship while working as television pundits on Sky's Premier League coverage.
Both will be involved in the Legends of the North match at Old Trafford, with tickets still available, although Gary joked that he’d had to resort to some underhand tactics to convince Jamie to play.
“It’s interesting, I’m actually playing with him a few weeks later at Soccer Aid, but I’ll be on the same team as him then,” Neville said.
“Originally, when I got the call, he wasn’t playing, so I called him out on Twitter and he’s ended up playing.
“His original excuse was that basically he didn’t want to get injured for the Liverpool title parade on the Sunday… [laughs] he said it was a big day for him at Sky.
“I did warn him I was working on the Sunday as well, and I didn’t have the same fears about getting injured.
“I think he’s worried someone’s going to top him! They’re more likely going to top me, to be fair…”
Neville made it through the full 90 minutes of the Treble Reunion Legends match against Bayern Munich three years ago, which United won 5-0.
He's not too thrilled about the prospect of putting miles in the legs at M16 once more, instead choosing to focus on the great cause with previous matches having raised over £1 million for Manchester United Foundation.
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“I’m not!” he laughed, when asked if he was looking forward to the game. “To be honest with you, I think the cause and what it’s for is the most important thing.
“Sometimes I dread these matches in respect of the physical element of it.
“The idea of doing it for the Foundation, who do such incredible work, is the most important thing and that’s what every player on the pitch will think about.”
See Neville and Carragher go head to head once more by booking your tickets now.