Phil Neville signs son Harvey to Inter Miami contract
Inter Miami signed head coach Phil Neville’s son Harvey to a contract on Tuesday.
Neville, 20, is a fullback and the third player this season to sign a first-team deal after playing for Miami’s MLS NEXT Pro side, joining center back Aime Mabika and homegrown left back Noah Allen.
“Yeah, it’s been a long time coming. I’ve been waiting fo this for a long time so it’s just good to get going and help the team out. Well I think it’s always going to be like that. I think he’s always going to treat me – he’s always going to be harder on me than everyone else but, to be honest, I’d rather it like that. I’d like to earn my place on the team and just work harder than everyone else to do it.”
Neville spent time with both the Valencia CF Academy in Spain and Manchester United’s academy before coming to America.
“I think I’m a very on-the-ball player. I like to get forward, I like to cross a lot. yeah, so, my technical abilities is probably my standout qualities. I don’t think it was ever like that, because I think in training you prove to them that you’re good enough to be there. Just like here, when I came here I proved to everyone that I earned this spot and that everyone here knows that I deserve to be here so that’s just what I try to do.”
This MLS NEXT Pro season Neville primarily featured at right back and recorded two assists across 15 matches (all starts). At the international level, Neville has featured for the Republic of Ireland’s U-19 team.
Phil Neville, Inter Miami Head Coach:
“There’s two different emotions – one when I’m at home and one when I’m at work. When I’m at work he’s just another young boy who’s come through our ranks, who’s been through our system, played in the MLS II and deserved this opportunity – no different than (Edison) Azcona, than (Ian) Fray, than Noah Allen earlier in the season. That’s how I treat him here, obviously at home I’m super-proud, he’s worked so hard, he’s sacrificed so much and he’s done it in a way where he’s had to overcome many challenges and one of those challenges is having me as his manager. He knows that he has to work and probably do more than everyone else but this is well deserved and now I said to him the other day, when he signed his contract, that the hard work begins. He’s got to perform to be better than (DeAndre) Yedlin, than Noah, than (Kieran) Gibbs – the players that are in his position and that’s the challenge but we believe a lot in him.”
“He’s had that noise all his career. He played for Manchester United and he had that thrown in his face … at Manchester United it was worse, he had his father and his uncle being thrown in his face so he’s got thick skin, he’s very driven and everything that he’s ever achieved in his life he’s had to earn himself. He made the choice at 11 years of age to go and sign for Manchester City, which was against all the wishes of everybody in my family but that was his decision. He wanted to create his own pathway so, so he looks after himself. Him and his mum sort himself out, I’m just a father at home that is his father – at work I’m his manager and that’s how it’s got to be. He knows he’s got to do more than everybody else but, like I say, he’s just another person that we see as a part of our future of this football club.”
