Gary Neville breaks silence on Man United offer and delivers passionate plea over Old Trafford dream

Gary Neville says the Old Trafford regeneration is "really important" as the former Manchester United defender admits there is a lot of work and questions to answer for.

The 49-year-old was enlisted, alongside London 2012 Olympics bidder Lord Sebastian Coe, by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe last week. The Ineos group chief wants to transform the Theatre of Dreams from being "run down and neglected in places" to a modern home that is capable of hosting international matches and elite finals.

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Chief Executive of Trafford Council, Sara Todd, are also members of the task force. Coe spearheaded the successful bid for the Olympics 12 years ago, which saw Stratford in East London transformed and become home to West Ham United since 2016.

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Neville, who has a wide-ranging portfolio including hotels, townhouses as well as development projects, says he is incredibly passionate about Old Trafford with the former defender's Hotel Football within the area housing the 20-time Premier League champions.

"What’s quite clear is that I won’t take a role at Manchester United. I’ve been very critical of the ownership over the last couple of years and I have not been offered a role at Manchester United," he said. "But, what I have always been incredibly passionate about is the surroundings, it doesn’t make me cry but it’s sad.

"I have a hotel within that acreage that Manchester United own and every time I look across that industrial wasteland and look across at the east of Manchester and see what is being built, one