Dragons’ Den is set to start tonight – and could feature football star Gary Neville.
The former Manchester United legend has had mixed success as a businessman but has created a stir with the announcement he would appear on the show.
When he’s not plying his trade as a sports presenter or property developer the football expert has also sparked controversy by commentating about politics.
He also sparked ridicule for calling a weekend away a ‘mini-retirement’.
Yet even so, many are looking forward to seeing how the ex-football ace performs in the Den.
Former Manchester United ace Gary Neville (pictured) is set to appear on Dragons’ Den, which starts tonight
He admitted making ‘huge mistakes’ in the planning of a £400million development by suggesting the bulldozing of an iconic pub said to be the inspiration for David Bowie’s Life On Mars
Another of his ventures, Hotel Football, made £3.2million in losses in just two years, although this is likely because Neville paid staff ‘100 per cent of their wages’ and hosted ‘120 medical professionals and nurses’ during the pandemic
One of Neville’s more recent investments has enjoyed huge success, with the 48-year-old having launched the behind-the-scenes series, The Overlap
Neville has admitted he was surprised at how long the pitches were on the show.
He told The Mirror: ‘It really was a test of endurance – the concentration span needed was something I’d not thought about before.’
The BBC has billed him as an ‘ex-professional footballer turned businessman extraordinaire’.
The 48-year-old remains best known for his achievements playing for the Red Devils during his career, winning eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, three FA Cups and three League Cups.
Whether he is a ‘businessman extraordinaire’ remains unclear.
After agreeing to join Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett as a guest Dragon, Neville claimed he would look to share his experience to help entrepreneurs.
Gary Neville will join Dragons’ Den next series and has vowed to help budding entrepreneurs
Neville enjoyed a stellar career for Man United and has had business success in retirement
On joining Dragons’ Den for a guest appearance, he said: ‘Business is all about managing people and managing yourself and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience to help the entrepreneurs we’ll meet in the Den reach their potential.’
He has already impressed a fellow Dragon in Bartlett, with the entrepreneur admitting he was stunned by the scale of the business portfolio developed by the former England international when he appeared on his Diary Of A CEO podcast last year.
Neville had explained the motivation behind his investments, insisting he wanted to build teams and raise standards in Greater Manchester.
‘They are all in Greater Manchester, in Salford, Trafford, Manchester city centre and I feel very focused in my investments in that,’ Neville said.
‘Some people would say that is naïve and you should expand your investments beyond Greater Manchester. No, I’m passionate about where I come from, where I live and I want to invest back into that part of the country.
‘The two hotels, the football club, the big developments that we’re doing, the university, the project management consultancy. All of them are in Greater Manchester.
‘I wanted to do a lot in businesses in Greater Manchester and build teams. The teams part of it gives me great satisfaction and I love the sectors that I’m in.’
Neville has invested in several businesses alongside members of Man United’s ‘Class of 92’
Given his success both on the pitch for Manchester United and in the media world for Sky Sports, it is unsurprising that one of Neville’s main business interests comes in the world of football.
Neville joined former Manchester United teammates Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and brother Phil in purchasing Salford City back in 2014. The ex-Man United stars teamed up with Singaporean businessman Peter Lim to complete the takeover of the club.
Salford had been in the eighth tier of English football at the time of the takeover, with the team plying its trade in the Northern Premier League First Division North.
The heavy investment from the Class of 92 team-mates, who were later joined by David Beckham in the endeavour, led to Salford securing multiple promotions to reach the Football League.
Neville started developing property while still playing for Manchester United, before founding the company Relentless Developments with Anthony Kilbride in 2015.
The investment company has specialised in ventures in and around the Manchester area, while he also runs ‘Zerum’, a property and construction consultancy business.
His enterprises include Hotel Football, a luxury hotel overlooking Old Trafford, and The Stock Exchange Hotel near Piccadilly Gardens, one of the top hotels in Manchester.
Neville and Giggs renovated of the old grade II-listed Stock Exchange building, after buying it in 2013 for £1.5million along with hotelier Winston Zahra.
The hotel included a restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge – although this closed just four months after opening and Neville admitted the venture had been a flop.
The hotel has a penthouse that includes three bedrooms and bathrooms and boasts panoramic views of the city, a rooftop terrace, a 10-seater glass dining table, a fitness area and its own bar.
Neville and Ryan Giggs’ Stock Exchange hotel includes a luxurious penthouse apartment
Neville also owns Hotel Football, a luxury hotel overlooking Man United’s Old Trafford stadium
The Labour-supporter ex-footballer was criticised for a lack of affordable housing in his £400million development called St Michael’s.
The redevelopment plan aimed to build hotels, offices, apartments and a top restaurant in Manchester city centre.
He later admitted making ‘huge mistakes’ by suggesting the bulldozing of an iconic pub said to be the inspiration for David Bowie’s Life On Mars.
Meanwhile, another of his ventures, Hotel Football, made £3.2million in losses in just two years, although this is likely because Neville paid staff ‘100 per cent of their wages’ and hosted ‘120 medical professionals and nurses’ during the pandemic.
One of Neville’s more recent investments has enjoyed huge success, with the 48-year-old having launched the behind-the-scenes series, The Overlap. Profits made from the show are allegedly around £181,000.
The channel began with Neville starring alongside other professional athletes as he conducted in-depth and unique interviews.
David Beckham, Tyson Fury, and Harry Kane are among the sports stars to have joined Neville, with the produced content typically generating headlines with its agenda-setting discussion points.
The Overlap has amassed a YouTube following of over 500,000, while its popularity has led to an on the road tour.
Neville has been joined in stage shows by fellow Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher, as they debate the latest football topics.
It has developed into one of the most-followed sports productions in England and has further evolved to feature an on-the-road live show where Neville, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane debate hot football topics.
Financial accounts show from last year that its popularity led to an increase in cash in the bank with The Overlap Ltd holding by funds of over £1million, a significant rise from the £576,169 the previous year.
The Overlap has proven a financial success for Neville with a YouTube series and road tour
The Overlap has featured interviews with several sporting stars like Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk
The pundit had also co-founded production company Buzz16 in 2017, which has overseen programmes such as Soccerbox and Class of ’92 Full Time.
Neville sold his controlling stake in February last year as part of deal reported to be worth around £200m.
He also used to be a senior investor in E3 Creative, a digital creative agency specialising in online marketing and corporate strategy, but left the venture in 2019.