Soccer
Phil Neville departs England Women, joins MLS club Inter Miami
Phil Neville is no longer the manager of England's women's national team, with the 43-year-old having crossed the Atlantic Ocean on Monday to join Major League Soccer's Inter Miami as its new head coach.
Neville reunites with Miami co-owner David Beckham in south Florida, as the duo were longtime teammates at Manchester United and England during their respective playing careers. The 43-year-old assumes his first professional head coaching role after briefly serving as an assistant at Valencia prior to his appointment with the England Women.
"This is a very young club with a lot of promise and upside, and I am committed to challenging myself, my players and everyone around me to grow and build a competitive soccer culture we can all be proud of,” Neville said in a club statement. “This fantastic soccer-loving market deserves consistent performances and a winning mentality, and I look forward to getting to work.”
The Football Association confirmed earlier Monday Neville's departure from England Women. The FA must now begin a search for a new England boss and a new coach for Team GB in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
"It has been an honour to manage England, and I have enjoyed three of the best years of my career with the FA and the Lionesses," Neville said in the FA's statement. "The players who wear the England shirt are some of the most talented and dedicated athletes I have ever had the privilege to work with."
Neville joins a Miami team that is undergoing a shakeup in management. In addition to former coach Diego Alonso's departure earlier this month, sporting director Paul McDonough also left the club in early December. That left two high-powered vacancies to fill. On Monday, Miami also announced the hiring of former Seattle Sounders executive Chris Henderson as its new chief soccer officer and sporting director.
