Neville honoured to play in Miller testimonial

Brendan O’Brien

Roy Keane hardly had the words out of his mouth when Gary Neville said yes.

The former Manchester United team-mates were at the World Cup earlier in the summer when the Irishman asked Neville and Ryan Giggs, who was also on media duties in Russia, if they would be available to play in the Liam Miller testimonial in September.

The three of them will be joined by another 15 alumni from the Old Trafford ranks — Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, and Denis Irwin among them — and they will take on a Republic of Ireland/Celtic selection at Páirc Uí Chaoimh next month.

“It didn’t take a moment to say yes,” said Neville.

We have to play. One of the things about the spirit of Manchester United is you support your team-mates. You don’t talk about players who are not at the club, you talk about players who are in the dressing room and Liam was one of our players.

“He was a good man, a good player. It didn’t quite happen for him at Manchester United in terms of what he would have wanted to have done, but there’s no shame in that at all. I think it’s a privilege.

“We have to come over here and make sure Liam Miller gets the tribute and the game he deserves and that the fans who come and watch have a great time. It’s important we do him justice.”