An unheralded DJ called Gary Neville will be appearing at this year’s Kendal Calling festival alongside British music heavyweights Noel Gallagher and The Streets.
Music aficionados might be asking who the man set to do a back-to-back set with The Charlatans’ lead singer Tim Burgess is. But his name will be well known to football fans.
The former England and Manchester United right-back many reportedly have little previous experience as a disc jockey — but he has until August 1 to brush up on his mixing skills.
It is the latest fascinating step in the post-football career of Neville, 48. He has presented Have I Got News for You and appeared as a dragon on Dragons' Den, for instance, as an owner of a multi-million-pound business empire.
He also once played guitar at a Charlatans gig.
Burgess said: "I'm very excited about the prospect of DJing with Gary — he's got great taste in music.
"The last time we shared a stage was when he joined The Charlatans on guitar.
"Can't promise we'll be doing any songs together but there might be an impromptu singalong at some point."
What is Gary Neville famous for?
He might not be leaving politics or football behind in 2024, but this will be the year Neville faces — or plays — the music.
Kendal Calling said of Neville's DJ appearance: “Right then, who had this on their 2024 bingo cards?”
Neville shared a meme on Instagram of him making a stunned face alongside a message saying: “The rumours are true ð DJ G-Dog B2B with Tim Burgess @kendalcalling this summer.”
He played 400 times for Manchester United and won 85 England caps in his illustrious 20-year career which yielded many major honours.
Since retiring in 2011, the Mancunian has become a popular pundit on Sky Sports' coverage of the beautiful game. He has become well-known for his insight and banter with fellow pundits such as Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
He had an ill-fated time as a manager, after being sacked by Spanish side Valencia after only 119 days in charge, and is the co-owner of English League Two side Salford City.
Since 2021, his media profile has grown after he launched the YouTube channel The Overlap. He also appeared on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast in 2022 and infamously seemed convinced he had invented the concept of the holiday, calling it a "mini-retirement".
Neville has also championed causes including building an eco-friendly home and joined the Labour Party in 2022. That same year, he said of the World Cup in Qatar that poor labour conditions should not be accepted in “any region”. He compared conditions in the Middle Eastern country to those suffered by UK staff.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised Neville's comments, made before the World Cup final in December 2022. Have I Got News for You team captain Ian Hislop also accused him of “hypocrisy” for choosing to work at the tournament.
