I kept my second life a secret from Sir Alex Ferguson and...

GARY NEVILLE has revealed how he kept his “second life” a secret from Sir Alex Ferguson during his time as a Manchester United player. Neville played 602 times between 1992 and 2011, winning eight titles and two Champions Leagues in the process. The right-back was also capped 85 times by England and remains a Man United legend to this day. However, Neville has now opened up on living a secret double life during his playing days.

Image Credit: The Sun [Gary Neville, Sky Sports commentator, speaking into a microphone.]

Neville knew he had to keep things under wraps from Sir Alex, who demanded his stars gave 100 per cent focus and attention to the beautiful game. Neville ended up using his new-found skills to build a series of homes in northern Bolton, knowing Fergie’s spies mainly stuck to southern Manchester where most players were based. And the former defender would even use the name of a trustee, instead of his own, on documents to make sure he was never caught out.

Image Credit: The Sun [Sir Alex Ferguson at a sporting event.]

Neville, who ended up selling most of his 25 executive homes over the next decade without being busted, said: “I’ve still got four. My mum lives in one of them. “(Things were done) under the radar. Purely because I knew that it would be deemed a distraction. “For me, my football was everything. But distraction was absolutely illegal at United. “You could not be distracted by anything. At the same time, I knew that my football career would one day come to an end, and I knew I had to plan for that.”.

Neville now oversees a vast property empire boasting 56 businesses worth £100million. And it all started with him using his free time after training to understand the ins and outs of the trade. Neville continued: “I was going up on site every afternoon after training. I don’t know what other lads did. “But I would go on site, spend time in the design team meetings, sit on the construction meetings and make sure I was in cost meetings, bank meetings, sales meetings. I loved every aspect of it.

“I used to bring the architects’ drawings with me in the bag for the plane on European trips. I wouldn’t read them before the game but you can’t sleep after, you’re wired. “I’d make sure no one was sitting next to me and then get them out and start looking at the drawings, the designs and all the things I needed to do. “For 10, 12 years, I had this almost double life. If you asked me what I know most about other than football, it would be property.”.