Sexist comments come back to bite ex Everton star Phil Neville as new MLS role off to messy start

Former Everton star Phil Neville has come under fire just days after landing the job as Portland Timbers boss with the MLS club's decision to appoint the former defender proving somewhat of a PR nightmare.

Even before Neville's arrival at Portland had been confirmed by the club, supporters group Timbers Army had issued a statement against the ex-Premier League star on grounds of past sexist comments. The club has faced its own scandals in recent years and fans demanded a focus on rebuilding that trust with supporters.

In 2012, while playing for Everton, Neville shared a series of controversial messages on Twitter. In one he wrote: "Morning men couple of hours cricket be4 [before] work sets me up nicely for the day.'

When asked why he had only referred to men, Neville replied: "When I said morning men I thought the women would of been busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making the beds-sorry morning women!"

In other Tweets Neville joked about having 'battered the wife' and that 'u women always wanted equality until it comes to paying the bills #hypocrites'.

The Manchester United youth academy product apologised for those messages in 2019 when managing the England Women's side but the controversy continues to surround the manager.

The Portland Timbers and their women's side the Portland Thorns have faced sexism scandals in recent history. The club settled a domestic violence lawsuit with the estranged wife of former midfielder Andy Polo in 2022 and the MLS fined the club $25,000 for not disclosing the allegations.

The Portland Thorns also dismissed Paul Riley in 2015 after player Mana Shim made a formal complaint against the coach, claiming that she had been sexually harassed by him. Riley denied the allegations. An independent investigation found that the allegations were known by players, a coach, an owner and other staff members before a complaint was made. The Thorns were then found to have aided Riley in finding another job in the National Women's Soccer League.

Neville and the club's form on sexism has caused a storm. Before his appointment, the Timbers Army stated: "The Portland Timbers are currently rebuilding a team on the pitch in addition to their ongoing efforts to rebuild trust with their fans and the community.

"We are deeply disappointed that the club has reportedly settled on a finalist for the head coach who has a history of sexist public statements that run counter to our ethos as a club, city and supporters' group, and who also lacks a proven track record as a manager. We urge the Timbers to reconsider this hire and re-evaluate other candidates before finalising a contract."

Neville has acknowledged the unrest at his appointment and pleaded for a chance to speak to the Portland Timbers. In his press conference, he said: "I want to get to know the Timbers Army and I want them to get to know me. The big part of this city is the supporters, and the statement they put out showed that this club cares about their people."

The former Premier League star won't be helped by his previous form in the MLS either. Neville took the role as Inter Miami manager in January but had been sacked in June by former Red Devils pal David Beckham with the team sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Beckham said: "Sometimes in this game, we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change."