Manchester United supremo Ed Woodward wants to heal his rift with Gary Neville in a bid to get him on board with their future vision.
It’s believed Old Trafford’s Executive vice-chairman hasn’t spoken with Neville since the end of last season with the former club defender highly critical of Woodward’s role in United’s decline over the past five seasons.
With his platform as senior Sky Sports analyst, Neville has been a powerful and outspoken voice holding Woodward to account over poor recruitment and his leadership of United.
And just last month Neville, who won eight Premier League titles and made 601 appearances in his 19 years at Old Trafford, called for Woodward to hand over the buying of players to others.
Neville said: “I don’t believe the guy at the top should be there doing it any more, I think he has had his chance.”
Woodward was insistent last week that he’s only one small part of the recruitment process in buying new players as the club seeks to find the right sporting director to help plot their recovery.
And he’s keen to “build bridges” and patch up his differences with Neville as United seek to strengthen their ties with the former Class of 92 and other influential figures from Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Old Trafford.
Nicky Butt heads up United’s Academy and former Fergie stalwarts Darren Fletcher and Patrice Evra have been at the training ground recently using their experience in a similar way Liverpool tap into their former players at Melwood.
Woodward’s strained relationship with Neville is complicated by the Hotel Football development across the road from United’s stadium.
In his spell at United it’s understood Jose Mourinho didn’t want his squad to stay there before home games or even visit the hotel as a retaliation for the continual criticism from stars like Neville and Paul Scholes who have a stake in the venture.
But as soon as Mourinho was fired it’s believed United sought to do a deal with the owners to try and use the hotel.
Woodward is also investigating the possibility of using a high-profile former player to work as a media “front man” with the club eager to promote the right messages to their world-wide fan-base.
