From The Sunday Times:
It sits at the side of a wide, straight road that leads to Manchester United’s training ground at Carrington. Lorries are always parked alongside; the place is so popular that a tent, with table and chairs, has been erected for customers. They come from all over to this unadorned fast-food wagon, hungry for what must be the best bacon rolls (with griddled mushrooms and brown sauce) in Lancashire. Sir Alex Ferguson drives past it every day, which is bad news for Gary Neville.
In the latest Vodafone advert, Gary and brother Phil are seen huddled outside the wagon, under a tent, cold hands clasped round hot mugs of tea while David Beckham sends them picture messages of sunny Madrid. Ferguson is said to have revved up the hairdryer when it appeared on television. The story goes that the Nevilles were blasted by their manager, who felt the ad played up to people’s worst notions about Manchester, denigrating United in the process.
"That’s how it was reported," said Gary, "and things like that frustrate you because you read the story and you can’t answer back. It never happened, and if it had happened, I wouldn’t speak to the press about it."
So Ferguson was fine about the advert? "Erm, the second part of it might be different. I actually filmed another bit in the dressing room at Old Trafford . . . oh, I don’t know . . ."
He gives up trying to justify himself and laughs instead. "You do some things in your life and you think, ‘Why? Nearly 29 and I’m still making mistakes’. I should be more experienced really."
About his role as shop steward:
"What we stood for with Rio was proved correct with Alan Smith. I think we’ve ensured that in future a mess like that — and Rio was as messy as it’s got in my time as an England player — won’t happen again," Neville said.
"Our views have been taken on board. Brooking’s been brought in, Brendon Batson’s been brought in (to review the FA’s disciplinary procedures). These are football people, people who’ve been players. With people like that involved, we feel much more comfortable. You have to admire the FA for not sitting back but bringing in Brendon and Trevor and listening to what we had to say.
"There’s no doubt about it: the players and the FA were a million miles apart, but I’m sure that we’ll find a middle ground. What we need to do is get something in place that will stop something like a Rio situation happening again. Because next time it could happen to a Beckham or an Owen on the eve of the European Championship, and nobody wants that. Are we going to go through a Euro Championship without a player of that calibre because of a small incident? I don’t think so."