NEVILLE OPENS UP ON RONALDO SNUB

Gary Neville has reflected on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo following the infamous pitchside snub before Manchester United’s match against West Ham in October 2022.

During the pre-match build-up, Ronaldo greeted former teammates Louis Saha and Jamie Redknapp but ignored Neville completely, which raised eyebrows. The incident stemmed from a series of tensions between Ronaldo and the club, particularly after the Portuguese star stormed down the tunnel during United's 2-0 win over Tottenham, having been left on the bench by manager Erik ten Hag.

Neville, who had previously criticized Ronaldo’s behavior, openly admitted he wanted the forward to leave the club. He stated at the time that Ronaldo’s actions, such as leaving the ground early and requesting a transfer, were disruptive to the team, and Ten Hag had no choice but to act decisively. “If you’re doing things like that, you’ve got to leave,” Neville said, backing Ten Hag’s decision to bench the player.

Since that moment, Ronaldo has kept his distance from Neville, and the Sky Sports pundit has been ribbed by colleagues about the snub. When asked about his relationship with Ronaldo during an appearance on *The Overlap US*, Neville explained that Ronaldo has "never not been my friend." He acknowledged the difficult end to Ronaldo’s tenure at United, especially after the explosive interview with Piers Morgan, which ultimately saw the player leave the club. Despite their differences, Neville expressed admiration for Ronaldo's incredible career and dedication to the game, noting that his determination to reach 1,000 goals is something that is likely to happen given his relentless work ethic.

Neville also cleared up that he wasn’t close to Ronaldo during their time at United, stating they weren’t “friends” during their playing days but always respected each other. Ronaldo’s special talent and professional attitude have never been in question, and Neville emphasized that he’s a "great teammate" and one of the best players to have ever played the game. Despite the tension between them, Neville’s respect for Ronaldo’s achievements remains intact.