Gary Neville makes feelings clear amid Union flag controversy video
Just days after taking to social media to call out 'idiots spreading hate speech', Gary Neville appears to have made his feelings on the situation perfectly clear.
The football pundit sparked controversy when he admitted to pulling down a Union Jack flag from a building in Manchester, stating 'the division that’s being created is absolutely disgusting'.
Neville was inspired to speak out after spotting '50 or 60' Union Jack flags in north Manchester, which got him thinking 'that we're all being turned on each other'.
While many groups who have been responsible for hanging Union Jack and St George's flags across the country claim it is driven by pride and patriotism, many believe it's a provocative move as tensions remain high when it comes to the topic of immigration in the UK.
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The former Manchester United captain called out 'angry middle-aged white men', suggesting they 'know exactly what they're doing' by using the flags to spread a negative message.
"I love my country. I love Manchester. I love England. But I’ve been building in this city for 15, 20 years, and there’s no one put a Union Jack flag up, so why do you need to put one up now?" he questioned.
"Quite clearly, it’s sending a message to everybody that there’s something you don’t like."
The commentator continued: "Brexit has had a devastating impact on this country and the message is getting extremely dangerous. All these idiots that are out there, spreading hate speech, in any form and abuse in any form, we must stop promoting them.
"It needs to stop now and get back to a country of love, of peace, of harmony and become a team again."
While many people have praised Neville for being a voice of reason in the wake of harrowing events like the Manchester synagogue attack, which saw two people killed and multiple injured, the 50-year-old has been criticised by those on the far right, such as Nigel Farage.
Rather than commenting on the controversy, Neville appears to have made his feelings known through music.
Taking to Instagram, he shared a video for Bruce Springsteen's 'My Hometown', which explores the subject of pride and identity linked with your hometown, passed down through generations.
Specifically, the song mentions racial tensions and fights breaking out before the town experiences economic decline.
But despite the negatives, he still passes on his pride for his hometown onto his own son.
While he didn't post any comment with the video, it could be interpreted to represent his own feelings towards his hometown of Manchester.
Neville has spoken publicly about being a big Springsteen fan and has even hosted the 'Dancing in the Dark' singer at his hotel, the Stock Exchange, during his 2023 and 2025 tours in the UK.
Emma Rosemurgey