Inter Miami manager Phil Neville has received a new contract from club owner and former teammate David Beckham, despite rumors that he and the club would part ways.
The ex-Manchester United duo have played a major role in overseeing a third season playing in MLS, but Neville was expected to leave after his current contract expired at the end of the season.
And despite a relatively poor campaign, Daily Mail Sport reports that Neville has been rewarded with a one-year extension to his current contract.
Miami finished the season in a relatively disappointing sixth place, which was enough to see them qualify for the league play-offs.
With high expectations from the Florida-based franchise, Neville has improved his overall standing, finishing higher than he has in the previous two seasons since his inaugural 2020 campaign.
And he received high praise from Inter Miami’s sporting director and general manager of football, Chris Henderson.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Phil and build on the foundation established this year,” said Henderson.
And with the former Lionesses coach’s future secured, Miami has high hopes of adding some big-name players to its team for next season.
With the club coveting seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, talks are said to have been ongoing for months between the sides.
With an ambitious $1 billion stadium complex also in the pipeline, Beckham and his ownership group are striving to take the club to the top.
And Neville himself has underlined that he believes the club is headed in the right direction. “It is a great honor to remain at Inter Miami. I have always thought long term, I have always thought that I want to be at this club for a long time”, the 45-year-old effusively said.
“I think we are in the initial growth period of this Club, the initial building process and I feel like we have made great strides in the last two years, but by no means is the journey over. In 2022 we finished sixth in the league, we got into the playoffs. But that’s not success, that’s progression. The expectation is to win,” said the former United and Everton player.
And with United’s strong connection and the Class of ’92 on the state side, Messi’s potential signing could see the Miami team create the biggest buzz in MLS since Beckham arrived in 2007.
