{"id":139252,"date":"2023-10-17T21:53:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T21:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magdelaine.net\/?p=139252"},"modified":"2023-10-17T21:53:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T21:53:04","slug":"fans-are-divided-as-football-legend-gary-neville-joins-dragons-den","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magdelaine.net\/celebrities\/fans-are-divided-as-football-legend-gary-neville-joins-dragons-den\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans are divided as football legend Gary Neville joins Dragon's Den"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gary Neville’s addition to Dragon’s Den line-up leaves fans divided as Man United legend is unveiled as judge on BBC show<\/h1>\n

The unveiling of Manchester United legend Gary Neville as a judge on Dragon’s Den has left football fans somewhat divided.<\/p>\n

The 48-year-old, who has built up his own ‘business empire’ since retiring from football, has joined the show as a guest judge\u00a0alongside businesswoman Emma Grede. The BBC\u00a0released the first glimpse of Neville on the set today.<\/p>\n

Neville, who played over 600 times for Man United and earned 85 caps for England, will appear alongside regular tycoons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett<\/p>\n

Despite several business ventures ranging from part-owning League Two club Salford City with his former team-mates to his luxury Manchester hotels, some have questioned whether the Red Devil has what it takes to become a dragon.<\/p>\n

Some fans could not help but make digs about Man United’s takeover woes – which Neville has been extremely vocal about himself. The unpopular Glazer family, who own Man United, were expected to sell the club but after nearly a year of discussions, it looks as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe will only acquire a 25 per cent stake.<\/p>\n

One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, mimicked the phrase used by the dragons to reject bids, posting: ‘Like most people to do with Manchester United – I won’t be investing I’m out.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The unveiling of Manchester United legend Gary Neville as a judge on Dragon’s Den has left football fans somewhat divided\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The 48-year-old, who has built up his own ‘business empire’ since retiring from football, has joined the BBC show as a guest judge alongside businesswoman Emma Grede (pictured)\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Long-term judge Deborah Meaden commended Neville on his first appearance which was appreciated by the former United captain<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Qatari Sheik Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani pulled out of a process which began last November. His group had offered to buy 100 per cent of the club and invest heavily on players and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Another football fan joked about the failed takeover, writing: ‘Did the Glazers come and pitch the idea that Utd was a club worth investing in.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

And a third said: ‘Gary Neville is set to star in the new series of Dragons Den. He’s going to use everything he learned from his time at Manchester United. He will end up overpaying for rubbish and up to his eyeballs in debt.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Several fans appeared to be disappointed with Neville’s role as a judge, with one posting: ‘Just don’t take any managerial advice from him’. The Sky Sports pundit had an infamously poor stint at Spanish side Valencia where his side won just 10 games out of 28.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But others were quick to defend Neville and thought he was a great addition to the Dragons Den team.<\/p>\n

One user wrote: ‘Good luck to him top pundit.’ Another said: ‘What’s the problem with that [him as a judge]?’<\/p>\n

A third said: ‘@GNev2 is a great example of ambition, determination, hard work !! Huge fan, looking forward to watching the program! Wish I could meet one of my idols one time \ud83d\ude41 !’\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Some social media users targeted Neville over Manchester United’s takeover woes over the last year, while others joked about his poor managerial record at Spanish side Valencia<\/p>\n

Long-term judge Deborah Meaden commended Neville on his first appearance, posting: ‘A first next year in @BBCDragonsden when we have some guest Dragons… first up @GNev2 who was utterly brilliant and owned that chair!!’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Neville replied to her warm tweet, writing: ‘Thank you Deborah. I loved it and can’t thank you and all the dragons enough for welcoming me.’<\/p>\n

Since retiring from football in 2011, Gary has built a vast property development portfolio that nets him tens of millions a year.<\/p>\n

Among his major enterprises is Hotel Football, a luxury hotel overlooking Old Trafford, and The Stock Exchange Hotel near Piccadilly Gardens, one of the top hotels in Manchester, alongside former team-mate Ryan Giggs.<\/p>\n

It’s not all been plain-sailing for the ex-footballer though. The new restaurant inside his Stock Exchange Hotel closed just four months after opening its doors in July.<\/p>\n

And he has also faced setbacks amid claims one of his high-end Manchester hotels lost \u00a33.2million over the pandemic and owed ‘\u00a310million in loans’.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But others backed Neville to do well, with one hailing him as\u00a0 a ‘great example of ambition, determination, hard work’<\/p>\n

Dragon Gary Neville’s ‘business empire’<\/h3>\n