If you told us that the same Gary Neville who won eight Premier League titles – before going on to make questionable noises on the gantry for Sky Sports – would join Dragons’ Den, we’d have a lot of questions.Yet, here we are, with the Manchester United legend joining Steven Bartlett, Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman, Peter Jones, Emma Grede, and Deborah Meaden on the show, as confirmed by the BBC.It’s not as random a move as you may think, however. The former right-back actually does have plenty of business experience.
What is Gary Neville’s net worth?
Since retiring in 2011, Neville has gone on to have huge success off the pitch, becoming a constant feature on Sky Sports as one of their main pundits, and opening his own hotel, as well as a number of other businesses.
The Sky Sports pundit also owns an investment company, a property developer, a programme of study, a hospitality company. On top of this, Neville owns part of Salford City alongside other members of Man United’s class of 92.
So, it’s fair to say that he has been a busy man since hanging up his boots, arguably becoming more famous than in his playing days.
As of today, Neville’s net worth is reportedly as much as $25m (£19.65m), giving him plenty to invest with while on Dragons’ Den.
Why is Gary Neville joining Dragons’ Den?
As explained on the BBC, Neville is joining the show for series 21, which will air in 2024, to “shake things up and impart their unique business advice on those entering the Den”.
Speaking about joining the show, the Premier League winner told BBC: “I am excited to join the Dragons, and to meet the entrepreneurs brave enough to face us in the Den.
“I hope my personal journey shows that you can take the experiences you’ve had in one part of your career and use them to do something entirely different and make it a success.
“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.”
It will certainly be an interesting watch, with Neville’s involvement potentially attracting a new range of viewers to the show, given his popularity in football.
If it goes anything like his punditry career, too, then we’re bound to get moments worth watching over and over again. Although it must be said, Neville will want to avoid a debut similar to his first Sky Sports appearance when he famously attempted to interview then-Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini after his side’s game.