PHIL NEVILLE has claimed he knew he would be sacked by Inter Miami if Lionel Messi joined the club.
The former Manchester United defender, 46, was dismissed by the MLS club – owned by ex-team-mate David Beckham – back in June.
Inter Miami were bottom of the Eastern Conference when Neville was axed following a run of four straight defeats.
Less than one week later, Messi confirmed he was signing for Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Since then, they have also brought in fellow Barcelona legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
And Neville has admitted he was aware while in charge that he may not get to coach Messi.
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Speaking on Taylor Twellman's Offside podcast, he said: "I always had a feeling deep down I wasn't going to be here (in Miami) when he (Messi) was going to come to the club.
"And I say that not lacking confidence in myself but this was different, this was not signing Gonzalo Higuain or Blaise Matuidi.
"You look around the world, the way he has been at other clubs and there has always been certain managers that managed him.
"The bottom line for me was, forget Messi, the results weren't good enough the last month I was in the job and I knew that. That is the reason I left.
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"When I look in the mirror in the morning and my friends or social media say 'it could have been you', well no it couldn't have. The results were not good enough.
"I knew the vision, I knew what the club wanted. I've been in football a long time and sometimes it is not meant to be. I am not bitter, twisted or angry."
Messi has scored nine goals in six games since arriving at Inter Miami.
And the team have won all of their last six matches – a run that has seen them set up a Leagues Cup final against Nashville on Sunday.
Neville's two-and-a-half-year spell as Inter Miami was a largely unsuccessful one – despite them reaching the play-offs in 2022.
Yet despite a difficult end to his time at the club, the former Lionesses boss has revealed he left after a positive chat with Beckham, 48.
He added: "They were incredibly honest to me. I have had two special moments in my career away from the medals that I won and that is when I left Manchester United and when I left Miami.
"It was one that, in a way, filled me with pride with the respect they had for me.
"My best friend, one of my lifelong friends, delivered the news that I wasn't going to work for Inter Miami and that was really hard.
"Hard for David, hard for me but it was actually a really special moment between two people who have total respect and love for each other.
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"I don't have any bitterness and I don't look back. Sir Alex Ferguson taught me that, my father taught me that – don't look back because If you look back you end up with pain and anger and bitterness.
"I look forward, I think Miami gave me and my family two and a half of the best years of my life."
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