‘If it was somebody you didn’t really respect you’d think ‘what right have they got to slag off my riding?’

Whether or not Gary Neville has any interest in horses, his influence will be felt around the Cotswolds next week.

The ex-Man United full-back has quickly established himself as the best sports pundit in Britain and Ireland, that reputation based on an ability to impart knowledge, understanding, insight and analysis when working on soccer games.

There are many ex-pros walking into media jobs who fail to educate the viewer in the manner one should expect of someone who knows the subject intimately.