‘It will cost me at some point but I can’t stop’: Gary Neville knows his hectic lifestyle could come back to haunt him after opening up on his collapse at Euro 2020… but United icon insists he has no plans on slowing down
- Gary Neville knows his hectic lifestyle could end up ‘costing’ him down the road
- Neville revealed he collapsed during England’s game vs Germany at Euro 2020
- The incident occurred following Raheem Sterling’s opening goal in the 2-0 win
- Neville was told by doctors his non-stop lifestyle had caused the health issue
- But the Man United icon said he ‘can’t stop’ in an interview on The Overlap
Gary Neville says he knows his hectic lifestyle will eventually cost him after opening up about the fit he suffered during Euro 2020.
Former Manchester United and England defender-turned-pundit Neville collapsed just after Raheem Sterling scored England’s opener against Germany at Wembley.
In the latest episode of his Overlap YouTube series in which he is the guest rather than host, Neville told Geoff Shreeves in a candid interview: ‘I was worried, had tests and they said to me you need to slow down. They identified problems I’ve got which I shouldn’t have at the age of 47.’
Gary Neville insists he knows his hectic lifestyle could end up ‘costing’ him down the road
Neville was speaking to his Sky Sports colleague Geoff Shreeves on his Overlap show
But Neville, who has a wide range of interests beyond his TV work including in football, as co-owner of League Two Salford, business, education and politics, has no intention of slowing down, inspired by his late father Neville who passed away in 2015 aged 65 following a heart attack.
‘The word I love the most in life is relentless,’ said Neville who has a company by the same name.
‘I just genuinely think we have a short period of time in this earth that we have to do everything we possibly can. I only do things I’m really passionate about. I feel like I have to do the maximum.’
Neville collapsed after Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for England against Germany
Sterling celebrates scoring at Wembley as England recorded a famous win over their rivals
Asked if his collapse was a wake-up call, Neville said: ‘But that was my dad.
‘I wanted him to slow down to stop doing things and I do sometimes cry about my dad but the reason that I don’t really have any regrets about my dad’s life is that he was out until 4, 5 o’clock in the morning with my sister [former England netball head coach Tracey] and her mates the week before.
‘He flew over to Australia to watch her in the Commonwealth Games, on a 24-hour flight to be there with her, and lost his life there.
‘Everything he wanted to do he did. I wish he was here now at the age of 72, 73 but then he would have had to miss a lot of things that he loved doing and I think I’m in a similar boat.
Alongside his former United team-mates, Neville is a co-owner at League Two side Salford City
‘[Neville’s former coach] Brian Kidd used to have this thing – ‘get your pace early, you can’t make it up at the end’ and it used to stick with me.
‘Sprint, go as fast as you can and fall on the floor earlier than trying to think you can measure it, jog and then do it at the end.
‘It’s my philosophy. Go for it, just sprint, go as fast as you can and to be fair it will cost me, I know it will cost me at some point but I can’t stop. I can’t stop.’
Watch Gary Neville’s full interview along with inside access into Sky Sports Football on The Overlap YouTube Channel.
