Gary Neville shared some of his regrets regarding comments he’s made about Chelsea and one ex-Liverpool star in a special Christmas edition of the Stick to Football podcast

Gary Neville has issued a grovelling apology for calling Chelsea ‘billion-pound bottle jobs’ and sticking the boot into former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius.

The Manchester United legend may have been in a festive mood for much of the Christmas edition of the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, but discussed some of his commentating regrets when asked via a surprise question from ex-West Ham striker Marlon Harewood.

Neville, 49, has had plenty of quotable lines in his decade-plus punditry career as he picked out a few he came to regret. “I wish I had not said the David Luiz line, about him being a ‘PlayStation player’,” he said.

Among his regrets was his iconic labelling of Chelsea as “billion-dollar bottle jobs”, a quote he coined following the Blues’ Carabao Cup final defeat earlier this year to a Liverpool side that fielded several youngsters due to an injury crisis.

“I wish I had not said ‘billion-dollar bottle jobs’,” he admitted. “They’re harsh lines that stain a group of players or a manager. David Luiz has never got rid of that. It’s a cheap shot really. It’s that line of humour meets cheap shot.”

Another regret of Neville’s was his declaration that Liverpool would never win the Premier League with Karius between the sticks. Neville was eventually proven correct with Jurgen Klopp lifting the club’s first Prem title in 2019-2020 season with Alisson in goal.

However, the Sky Sports commentator, whose comments came just five months before the German goalkeeper made two calamitous mistakes in the Reds’ 3-1 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, admitted he feels remorseful about it, especially after meeting the 31-year-old in a hotel gym.

Neville expressed regret after calling Chelsea ‘billion-pound bottle jobs’ after their 2024 Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

“[Loris] Karius, the Liverpool goalkeeper, the young lad – I’ve been quite direct about him for a period of two to three months. Liverpool were getting better under Jürgen Klopp and I remember saying that they’ll never ever win the league with that guy [Karius] in the net.

“It’s a strong line for a young goalkeeper. It was probably true five months later back in the Champions League final. One time I went to Italy and went to a hotel. I walked into the gym for a session and there was just this big bloke lifting massive weights – it was Karius!

“He could have done many things there and could have had a go at me. It went right through my head on what I said about him, and I know he would’ve known that. But he said, ‘Nice to see you’ and I felt guilty bumping into someone I’ve given a harsh line to.”

After ending his two-year spell at Newcastle United this past summer, Karius has yet to find a new club as he recently admitted to considering retirement from football.