Newcastle United: Geordie fans react as Gary Neville suggests he’d have signed for them

The Chronicle’s Mark Douglas reports Gary Neville revealed Newcastle United are one of only three Premier League teams he would have wanted to play for if he had left Old Trafford.
Speaking to Geoff Shreeves for Sky Sports’ Off Script podcast, the Manchester United legend listed several sides he would never had moved to, before admitting he respects the Tyneside club.
Neville said “I would never have played for City or Liverpool or Leeds United in a million years. I don’t criticise or feel anything bad for players who did do that. Me personally I never could have played for those three clubs. Not because they’re not great clubs in their own right and they don’t have great fanbases, just the rivalry is too much. The feeling is too much.”
He concluded, “if Sir Alex had said at 28 I had to go, I’d have said Newcastle, Arsenal and Aston Villa were the three clubs would be the ones.”
The 45-year-old made a staggering 598 appearances for United in all competitions, scoring 7 goals and creating 47 assists. Neville played in 400 matches in the English top-flight, registering 148 clean sheets, making 101 tackles overall at a success rate of 69%, and successfully completing 77 interceptions (via the official Premier League website).
He was part of the famous Red Devils side led by Sir Alex Ferguson that pipped Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers to the title, and went on to lift the coveted trophy twelve times throughout his career.
Predictably, plenty of the Toon Army have been reacting to Neville’s recent comments, with one angry Magpie remarking the defender wouldn’t join St James’ Park now if he was still playing as “we’re a calamitous joke.”
Take a look at some of the mixed reactions down below…
We were, we aren’t now. We’re a calamitous joke.
— Paul (@PHarnett24) April 2, 2020
Only so he wouldn’t have to face @teamginola twice a season…
— Paul White Photo (@PaulWhitePhoto) April 2, 2020
NUFC is still a huge draw for managers and players alike.
— Paul Woods. (@WooPaul) April 2, 2020
We would have had you I hated you as a player because you were so good love you as a pundit amd would have loved you if youd played for the toon
— Chris Howdon (@HowdonC) April 2, 2020
Top lad! If we had an ambitous owner & top manager we’d be one of the top clubs in Europe imo #nufc
— Chris Currie (@Wig82) April 2, 2020
def would have taken him, he would have been a great player/coach and given our young defenders some invaluable advice – talks better sense that that loon @Carra23 too 🙂
— Throw Back Theatre (@AndyBtheatre) April 2, 2020
Best PL right back ever for me, even if Ginola did make him look stupid 😉
— bigrobnufc (@bigrobnufc) April 2, 2020
Always liked Gary Neville.
— Dean Dodds (@DeanDodds2) April 2, 2020
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