Gary Neville feared ‘aggressive dog’ attack after abuse in street | Football | Sport
Gary Neville feared he was about to be set upon by a dog when he was confronted in the street at the weekend and subjected to a torrent of vicious verbal abuse. Video footage circulated on social media this week showing the Sky Sports pundit walking alongside his wife, Emma, when he was approached by a member of the public.
The man behind the camera is heard saying: “Is that Gary Neville? W*****, w*****, w*****. That’s what you are, a f***ing w*****. Listen, listen. I’m filming because you’re a f***ing w*****. You’ve got f*** all to know about the working class man you have. Even your own fans have turned against you, cause you’re a f***ing p****.”
Now, speaking out on The Overlap, Neville has opened up about the harrowing ordeal. He said: “I went to see James with Roy [Keane]. It was a brilliant concert. So I walked to the concert, and then a guy just starts going.”
When Ian Wright interjected to point out that Neville had been accompanied by his wife, the 51-year-old responded: “That’s the bit for me I think is wrong. To be fair, it’s the first time it’s happened like that. But when you’re with your wife…”
He added: “Do you know what I should have done – the mistake I made? I should have filmed him, because no one can see who he is. Do you know what I mean? And I think if I’d have filmed him, he might not have put it out. I don’t know.”
Neville also claimed that the man had a “really aggressive” dog with him, which he feared could have been unleashed on him at any moment. He continued: “He had quite a, I’m presuming, a really aggressive dog with him on a lead. And I thought he was gonna let the dog go. I thought it was one of them where he was going to go like that.”
It comes as Neville’s sister, Tracey, recently spoke out against the footage, which has gone viral across social media. She wrote: “Situations like these are truly scary and I can assure you they are not delightful.”
Meanwhile, former footballer John Hartson also weighed in on the incident, explaining: “What does this moron think he is achieving. Gary with one of his family and some t** is abusing him in public. If you feel like you want to abuse people gone do it in front of your tv screen not in public. Not very clever!”
Jill Scott, responding to Neville on The Overlap, added: “But to approach you in the street and start swearing, I just think…Like, people can have difference of opinions or whatever, but I just think it was so out of order.”
