What is Gary Neville's net worth and salary?
Gary Neville is an English soccer coach, former professional soccer player, and businessman who has a net worth of $50 million. Gary Neville spent his entire 19-year professional career (1992-2011) at Manchester United, becoming one of the club's most decorated players and establishing himself as one of the Premier League's finest right-backs. As part of United's famous "Class of '92," he emerged from the youth academy alongside players like David Beckham and Paul Scholes.
During his career, Neville won 8 Premier League titles, 2 Champions League trophies (1999, 2008), 3 FA Cups, and 2 League Cups. He served as club captain from 2005 until his retirement, demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities. Neville earned 85 caps for England, representing his country in two World Cups and three European Championships.
Known for his defensive reliability, tactical intelligence, and crossing ability, Neville formed a particularly effective partnership with David Beckham on United's right flank. His fierce competitiveness and loyalty to United made him a fan favorite, though often a villain to opposing supporters, particularly Liverpool fans. Neville's brother, Phil Neville, is also a former Manchester United and England player, and the siblings have remained close, even becoming business partners in ventures like Salford City FC.
Post-retirement, Neville has become one of football's most respected pundits, working primarily for Sky Sports, where his tactical analysis and forthright opinions have earned him widespread acclaim. He also had a brief, unsuccessful stint as Valencia manager in 2015-16.
Career Earnings (Football)
Gary Neville's football career spanned 19 years (1992–2011) at Manchester United, where he emerged as one of the most reliable right-backs of his generation. A one-club man, Neville earned a lucrative salary as he became a fixture in a dominant United side. In 2001, he signed a six-year contract worth £11 million (about $15 million), underscoring his value to the team. His weekly wage, initially around £32,000, eventually doubled to over £60,000 per week by the end of his playing days. These salaries, combined with performance bonuses for winning major trophies, saw Neville earn tens of millions over his playing career. He lifted 20 major trophies with United (including 8 Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues), and such successes typically came with substantial bonus payouts. In 2011, a testimonial match was held in his honor, and Neville, known for his loyalty to club and community, directed proceeds from the game towards charitable causes. Overall, Neville's lengthy tenure as a top-flight player provided a strong financial foundation, with total career earnings from contracts and bonuses estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.
Media Career and Broadcasting
After retiring in 2011, Gary Neville seamlessly transitioned into a high-profile media career. He became one of football's most respected pundits, notably joining Sky Sports as an analyst on programs like Monday Night Football. Neville's forthright analysis and insight quickly made him a cornerstone of Sky's coverage, and he was rewarded as one of the highest-paid football pundits in the UK. He reportedly earns over £1 million per year (about $1.4 million) from his Sky Sports punditry contract, making him the top earner on Sky's roster in recent years. In addition to Sky, Neville has contributed as a tournament commentator for ITV during World Cups and European Championships, further boosting his broadcasting income.
Beyond on-screen punditry, Neville has expanded into media production. He co-founded a production company called Buzz16 in 2016, which produces sports content such as Gary Neville's Soccerbox and the popular YouTube series The Overlap. In 2023, Neville sold a majority stake in Buzz16 to investors in a deal that valued the company at over £200 million, significantly adding to his wealth (he remains a major shareholder post-sale). Neville's media endeavors also include guest appearances on programs like the BBC's Dragons' Den in 2024, where he featured as a guest investor. Overall, his broadcasting contracts and media ventures have become a major income stream, supplementing the wealth he amassed as a player.
Business Ventures and Investments
Gary Neville is as much an entrepreneur as he is a former athlete. He has parlayed his football fame into a broad range of business ventures, often in partnership with his former teammates. In 2013, Neville and Ryan Giggs founded GG Hospitality, which launched ventures like the themed Cafe Football restaurant and eventually Hotel Football. That same year, the pair purchased the historic Northern Stock Exchange building in Manchester for £1.5 million with the vision of developing it into a luxury hotel
(now the Stock Exchange Hotel). Neville also co-owns Salford City FC, a club he and the "Class of '92" (Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, and later David Beckham) invested in back in 2014. Under their ownership, Salford rose from non-league to England's League Two, aided by funding from billionaire Peter Lim. In 2024, Neville acquired Lim's stake, making himself the majority shareholder of Salford City and further cementing his commitment to the club's growth.
Another major venture is University Academy 92 (UA92), an educational institute Neville co-founded in 2019 along with his former teammates. UA92 was created to "disrupt" traditional higher education by emphasizing character development alongside academics. While the academy has been a passionate project, it required heavy investment and has yet to turn profitable – reports in 2022 showed cumulative losses of about £18.5 million (≈$25 million) as it got off the ground. Neville's Relentless umbrella of businesses, established in 2015, serves as the vehicle for many of his investments. Through Relentless, he has backed ventures ranging from a digital creative agency to a property and construction consultancy (Zerum), and even a Michelin-starred restaurant. These collaborative ventures (often involving fellow Class of '92 members) have expanded Neville's portfolio well beyond football. While not all have turned immediate profits, they position him for significant long-term returns. Importantly, these business activities contribute substantially to Neville's net worth and exemplify his post-football acumen.
Real Estate Holdings and Developments
One of Gary Neville's biggest focus areas is real estate development, which forms a key part of his business empire. Perhaps the crown jewel is the St. Michael's development in Manchester – a massive commercial and residential project that Neville's company Relentless Developments is spearheading. This mixed-use development includes a luxury hotel and high-end residences (W Hotel & Residences), offices, and public spaces, and is touted as one of the most significant urban redevelopment projects in Manchester. Such a venture not only underscores Neville's ambitions in property but, if successful, could dramatically boost his financial portfolio.
Neville's hospitality real estate includes two prominent Manchester hotels. Hotel Football, opened in 2015 across from Old Trafford, is a 133-room upscale hotel co-owned with his former teammates. The project cost about £24 million (around $30 million) to develop and features unique touches like a rooftop five-a-side football pitch. In recent years the hotel has seen growing revenues (about £7.8m turnover in 2023) but has yet to post a net profit, in part due to high financing costs – it had accumulated roughly £9.5 million in losses over its first nine years. Nonetheless, Neville remains optimistic about its prospects as a long-term investment and a staple for Manchester United fans and visitors.
The second is the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester's city center, a luxury 40-room boutique hotel developed from the historic former stock exchange building. Neville (with Giggs) bought the property for £1.5 million in 2013 and, after extensive refurbishment, opened it in late 2019. The Stock Exchange Hotel quickly gained acclaim (joining Marriott's elite Autograph Collection of hotels). While the hotel's fine-dining restaurant had some early setbacks (celebrity chef Tom Kerridge's restaurant there closed in 2022), the venue has become one of Manchester's top hotels. These properties, alongside other developments, form the backbone of Neville's real estate holdings.
Personal Life
Off the pitch, Gary Neville leads a grounded personal life and is involved in various philanthropic efforts. He married his childhood sweetheart Emma Hadfield in June 2007, and the couple has two daughters together.