Gary Neville has responded to claims that he ‘cried off’ Monday Night Football after Manchester United’s humiliating 4-1 loss to Liverpool in the English Premier League.
The former United defender and Sky Sports pundit was due to appear on the show alongside Jamie Carragher and host David Jones, but pulled out at the last minute.
The decision sparked speculation that Neville had ‘cried off’ the show in the wake of United’s heavy defeat, but the former England international has now taken to Twitter to explain his absence.
“I was due to do MNF last night but due to personal reasons I couldn’t make it,” Neville wrote. “I’m not one to cry off and I’m disappointed I couldn’t make it.”
The speculation surrounding Neville’s absence was further fuelled by the fact that he had been a vocal critic of United’s performance in the match, branding it “embarrassing” and “shocking”.
However, Neville has since clarified that his absence had nothing to do with the result, and that he had been dealing with a personal issue.
“I’m not one to shy away from criticism and I’m not one to hide away from the truth,” he wrote. “I’m a Manchester United fan and I’m disappointed with the result, but I had to deal with a personal issue which was more important.”
Neville’s absence from Monday Night Football was a huge disappointment for fans of the show, who had been looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the match.
However, Neville has since made it clear that his absence had nothing to do with the result, and that he had to deal with a personal issue.
It is a testament to Neville’s professionalism that he was willing to put his own personal issues ahead of his commitment to the show, and it is clear that he is still passionate about Manchester United and the Premier League.