November 07, (THEWILL) – The Portland Timbers announced on Monday, that former Inter Miami manager, Phil Neville, has been appointed as the team’s new head coach. The 46-year-old Englishman replaces Gio Savarese, who was sacked in August after six seasons in charge.
Neville joins the Timbers after being dismissed by Inter Miami in June, while the club was languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. His appointment comes shortly after the arrival of global superstar, Lionel Messi, to the Florida-based club.
In a statement, Neville said he was “massively excited about the challenge ahead” and felt Portland was the “right opportunity” for him after meeting with club staff.
Timbers general manager, Ned Grabavoy, stated that Neville’s “leadership qualities, diverse experience as a coach, and ambition to evolve” made him a great fit for the club’s goals moving forward.
Before coaching, Neville had a 19-year playing career mainly with Manchester United and Everton. In 2019, he led England’s women’s national team to the World Cup semi-finals before they lost to eventual champions, the United States. Before this, Neville has been working as an assistant coach with the Canadian men’s national team.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
