“It’s probably the best collection of ex-Manchester United players that I’ve ever seen come together for one of these matches.”
Gary Neville has praised the role of Roy Keane in organising the Liam Miller memorial match. The Republic of Ireland assistant manager has played a key role in arranging the game, which is due to take place at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on September 25.
The match will feature a team of Manchester United legends, captained by Keane, play against a side containing Ireland and Celtic legends. The former United midfielder has been back to Cork on several occasions to promote the game and he has recruited many of his former teammates to take part.
In Dublin on Thursday, Neville spoke to reporters about his former United teammate Miller, and how he became involved in the match.
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“I was over at the World Cup, and me and Ryan (Giggs) were asked by Roy to come and play the game, and we didn’t need to give it a moment’s thought,” the Sky Sports pundit said.
“It’s absolutely terrible what has happened to Liam. I can’t imagine the pain and devastation that his family are feeling. He was a good man, a good player and for us, it’s important that we absolutely support this game and come over and do the very best that we can.
“To be asked by Roy was an honour, because we obviously hold him in the highest regard. Obviously, we have the greatest respect for him. So, when he asked we said yes straight away, we were desperate to come over. I’m not sure if we’re very good at playing anymore, that’s the problem that we’ve got, so don’t expect too much! But we’ll do our best and make sure we give our all and make it as good and attractive a fixture and a day out as possible and do Liam justice.”
The teams have been confirmed for Liam Miller’s memorial match
Earlier this week, Keane jokingly told reporters in Cork that the players may be in shock by the size of the pitch in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Neville, who retired from playing in 2011, joked that he can at least blame the pitch if he has a poor touch, and that, regardless of how big the pitch is, he is expecting it to be an exhausting afternoon. But the most important thing is to put on a good occasion and do Miller’s memory justice.
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“The pitch the least of my problems, I can just blame the pitch on my touch! No that’s the least of my worries. It’ll be the oxygen tank that I require after about 20 minutes,” the former England defender said.
“I’m actually working as hard as I can to get fit for it but no, I’m not worried about the pitch I’m more worried about how to navigate the 90 minutes. To be fair, I’m not even worried, it’s about doing the occasion justice. You want to put on a good show and make people enjoy it and do the occasion proud. Sometimes these games can drag on a bit, but I hope not. I hope it can be a really good occasion and I’m sure it will be because all the ingredients are there.”
However, despite urging people not to expect too much from the ex-professionals taking part in the game, Neville was complimentary of the quality of players who will be on show at the memorial match.
“When I saw the lineups that Roy has put together… It’s probably the best collection of ex-Manchester United players that I have ever seen come together for one of these matches,” Neville said.
“Sometimes in these ambassadorial type games, you don’t see everybody turn up. But it goes to show I think the respect that everyone has for Roy, as well as the respect everyone has for Liam. And the understanding of how important the situation is that the players that played with him make sure that we do the right thing and do a good job and do him justice because it’s a real tragedy.”
Along with Keane and Neville, the United legends team will feature Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Denis Irwin, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Louis Saha and Andy Cole amongst others. The Ireland/Celtic legends side will feature players such as Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Neil Lennon, Andy Reid and John Hartson.
BREAKING | The squads for the Liam Miller Memorial Game have been announced this morning. More to follow on the @BigRedBench pic.twitter.com/Xwqtz8K4cT
— Red FM (@CorksRedFM) August 9, 2018
Miller played for Celtic, Ireland and United during a career which also saw him feature for Cork City and Leeds United. He was just 36 when he lost his fight with pancreatic cancer back in February.
The former midfielder is survived by his wife Clare and his three children Kory, Leo and Belle. The game will raise funds for Miller’s family and Marymount Hospice.
