'I don't work like that' - Gary Neville denies being envious of Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney's Wrexham project after completing Salford City takeover with fellow Man Utd legend David Beckham

Neville helped to make Salford one of the first teams to embrace celebrity ownership, with Manchester United’s fabled Class of ‘92 taking on an ambitious project. Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were also involved in that adventure.

They were later joined by David Beckham, with a run of four promotions in the space of five years lifting Salford into the Football League. Momentum has stalled in League Two, with Neville and Beckham forming part of a takeover that is intended to help get The Ammies moving forward once more.

They have starred in their own documentary series, on the BBC and Sky Sports, with Reynolds and McElhenney adopting a similar approach when bringing ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ cameras with them to North Wales.

The Red Dragons have enjoyed a meteoric rise into the Championship, while growing their global fan base, but Neville told FourFourTwo when asked if there is any jealousy on Salford’s part: “No, I don’t wish I was any other football club, I don’t work or operate like that.

“With new owners, we’ve got a plan whereby in four to five years, I’d like to think Salford would be more successful on the pitch. That’s the hope. We will also have invested in our training ground and stadium, and be in a position whereby we can achieve sustainability.

“That’s the real drive of this ownership, to grow revenues, be successful on the pitch, become sustainable and ensure we still meet those values of being affordable and accessible that we had from day one. There’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in, but we’re committed and that’s the most important thing.”

Salford narrowly missed out on a play-off spot last season, with the hope being that Karl Robinson - a manager with considerable EFL experience - can get them upwardly mobile in 2025-26 on the back of more transfer business.