Phil Neville: “One thing that really excites me is to prove people wrong”

Phil Neville Press Conference 1/22/21

Inter Miami’s newly appointed Head Coach Phill Neville was formally introduced in a press conference on Friday, giving way to an exciting new chapter in the Club’s history. Neville, who recently became the second Inter Miami Head Coach in franchise history, showcased his excitement as he goes into his first coaching experience in Major League Soccer (MLS). 


“For me the biggest challenge as a coach is to come here and prove to people that foreign coaches can come here and be successful. One thing that really excites me is to prove people wrong, to make sure that I’m successful. I’m looking forward to the challenge, I’m looking forward to the league starting and I just wish it was tomorrow,” he said. 


Neville also went into detail about his experience in fútbol, his philosophy and what he aims to achieve at the Club, providing fans with a glimpse of what they can expect under his management. 


“I’ve got a lot of experience. A lot of experience of being around winners, a lot of experience of winning myself, a lot of experience coaching at the very top level with Valencia, with Manchester United and with the England National Team, getting to a World Cup semfinal,” said Inter Miami’s new Head Coach. “I’m an obsessive type of coach that wants to learn from different experiences. I’m a fast learner, I’ve come out to a place where I’ve always wanted to live and work in and I’m going to adapt really quickly. I’ve got great people around me and I’m going to surround myself with the best people to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful.”


“In terms of what we want to build here, we talked about identity, about connecting with the public. We have to behave in a certain way, what I call elite behavior. Elite behavior is doing the right thing every minute of every single day, and I’ve lived that myself as a player and I’ve coached that way. Ultimately, I’m coming into this job to instill those values into this football club. I know what qualities it takes to win. The identity, the commitment, the discipline, the hard work; these are fundamentals that I want to instill into this football club.”


Inter Miami’s new Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson was introduced by the Club in the press conference as well. 


“It’s an exciting new opportunity to take a team that can get to the championship level and has aspirations to be a global club. It’s a huge challenge and it's going to take a lot of work, and it’s great to work with a new coach who has energy and to have David [Beckham’s] involvement in the everyday building of the team,” he expressed. “Twenty years ago I was here in the South Florida market, I won a Supporters’ Shield with the Miami Fusion; to be able to come back and connect with the fans here and have an opportunity to grow things here in South Florida is a great opportunity.”