Gary Neville has revealed how Liverpool’s title celebrations got the better of him on Sunday forcing him to make a quick escape from Anfield and even “snap” at a few fans.
Speaking on his It’s Called Soccer podcast, the former Manchester United defender admitted he didn’t stick around after the final whistle as Arne Slot’s men sealed the Premier League crown with a 5-1 thumping of Tottenham. The win clinched Liverpool’s 20th league title, putting them level with bitter rivals United.
Neville, who was on Sky Sports commentary duty at Anfield, had already made up his mind to leave before full-time.
“At the end of the game, I normally do a podcast. But I made the decision partway through the game, it was getting a bit fruity up where I was in the gantry,” he explained.
With the atmosphere heating up and celebrations imminent, Neville grabbed his backpack and bolted as soon as the whistle blew.
“I put my backpack on, we ran for it and went right out into the concourse and beat everybody,” he said. “But what I didn’t then imagine was the carnage and people outside and I got absolutely abused. I snapped at a couple of people as well, to be fair.”
The United legend described how fans in high spirits bombarded him with “abuse” after spotting him in the crowd.
“A lot of them were in good spirits, as you can imagine, and seeing me, they just abused me.”
Even on his drive home, the jabs continued.
“There was a guy on the M60 on the way home… honestly. I’ve never been aggressive in my life but I pulled over,” he said. “It wasn’t a great last half hour after the game. It was a bit old-school.”
Despite being on the receiving end of some stick, Neville acknowledged Liverpool’s recent dominance though he insisted Manchester United remains the “biggest club” in the country.
“The most successful club at this moment in time is Liverpool,” he said. “That should send tremors over to Old Trafford, to the ownership and to the players.”
Neville admitted that until United start winning trophies again, Liverpool have the edge in terms of success but not in stature.
“The debate at this moment in time, until Manchester United start winning again, is over on success. Liverpool are the most successful club in this country,” he added.
“But they’re not the biggest club.”
