Gary Neville addresses absence from Monday Night Football as Sky Sports role evolves after taking up new jobs

GARY NEVILLE has spoken about stepping back from Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.

The pundit first appeared on the show in August 2011 and quickly became a mainstay, with Jamie Carragher joining later and the duo forming a popular double act.

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Gary Neville is stepping away from Monday Night Football[/caption]

Neville has not appeared on MNF since August with Carragher taking responsibility alongside a variety of guests including Aaron Ramsey and Graham Potter.

Instead he has focused his time on commentary and has appeared frequently on Sky Sports Super Sunday.

He also features in the weekly Gary Neville podcast and has focused more time on his Overlap shows Stick to Football and It’s Called Soccer!

In an appearance on the latter for The Overlap US Neville spoke to broadcaster Rebecca Lowe where he confirmed he is no longer a regular on Monday Night Football.

He said: “So tomorrow, I’m expected to do set-pieces, whereas with Sky, on Monday Night Football, there are some set pieces which I prepare for – but now I don’t do Monday Night Football anymore, I don’t do set-pieces any more.”

Last season, Neville appeared on just three of the 18 Monday Night Football shows.

He is still expected to appear on future episodes.

Neville has appeared on Friday Night Football and Saturday Night Football this season but has reduced his presence on Sky Sports as his role there evolves.

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Earlier this month he missed Sky Sports’ coverage of Aston Villa vs Manchester United as he reported on the match for NBC Sports instead.

Neville also has a number of irons in the fire outside the world of punditry, and he is looking to expand his £100m empire.

He already owns Hotel Football outside Old Trafford but wants to create a ‘World of Manchester United’ as part of the stadium regeneration project.

Neville is part of the task force looking at how to redevelop the stadium and he has grand ambitions for the area.

He said: “What I want to see is a world of Manchester Utd around that stadium – of opportunity, hope and belief.

“It sounds Disneyfied, but I don’t mean a theme park. I mean where people visit that area and think, ‘Wow’.

“In five, six or seven years, I want United to have the best stadium and training ground in the world, plus doing the right things on the football side.

“That will come again and we’re patient.”