Gary Neville lands huge new BBC TV job – and it’s nothing to do with football

Gary Neville has picked up a plum new TV role at the BBC – but it’s not related to football.

Neville played more than 600 times for Manchester United in a stellar playing career and won eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and two Champions League crowns.

The 48-year-old moved into media work after retiring and is now a high profile and highly respected pundit and co-commentator for Sky Sports.

He also joint-owns League Two side Salford City alongside former United team-mates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and brother Phil, and started out as a property developer while still playing for the Red Devils.

And the BBC announced on Tuesday that Neville, along with businesswoman Emma Grede, will join the 21st series of the Dragons’ Den programme, with filming currently taking place in Neville’s native Manchester.

Sky Sports pundit Neville, 48, will join the new series of Dragons’ Den as a guest Dragon

He joins the programme on a temporary basis alongside businesswoman Emma Grede (above)

He said: ‘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.’

Dragons’ Den say Neville has a ‘business empire’ spanning property, education, hospitality, media and sport, with The Stock Exchange Hotel, University Academy 92 and the St Michael’s property development, all in Manchester.

He and Grede will sit on the panel alongside regular Dragons Peter Jones, Steven Barlett, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies.

Executive producer Samantha Davies added: ‘For the first time in the show’s 21 series there will be a sixth chair in the Den as we welcome our first guest Dragons. 

‘And what better additions to our established line-up than business juggernauts Emma Grede and Gary Neville. 

‘Gary is a great example of someone who took an alternative route into commerce and used his unique skillset to grow a successful portfolio of companies. They’re an exciting addition to the Den for both the programme and the entrepreneurs.’

The pair will join Dragons like Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones (left-right)

Neville is one of the co-owners of League Two Salford City, along with Ryan Giggs (second left)