Gary Neville admits comments on former Arsenal player are his biggest regret as a pundit
David Luiz’s time at Arsenal is perhaps remembered more fondly than his critics might have predicted.
The Brazilian defender arrived from Chelsea in August 2019 to overwhelming scepticism. The narrative around him had been set years earlier that he was just a flamboyant, error-prone defender more interested in showboating than doing the basics.
That narrative had stuck with him from PSG to Chelsea and then to North London. Much of it originated from one line.
What Gary Neville regrets saying about David Luiz
On November 20, 2011, Chelsea lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, and Luiz was caught out of position a few times and committed some rash challenges. Gary Neville commented on his performance speaking on Sky Sports, saying: “He plays like he’s being controlled by a nine-year-old in the crowd on a PlayStation.”
At the time, it was a great line. The sort that would generate ‘clicks’ and headlines and what-not. It was instantly quotable. It was also, by Neville’s own admission, unfair.
Speaking to David Ornstein in The Athletic’s Truth or Padel on YouTube, Neville revealed it is the comment he regrets most from his entire punditry career.
“I thought ‘do you know something? He plays for Brazil, he’s played for Paris Saint-Germain, he’s played for Chelsea, he’s played for big clubs.’ Just because that line stuck with him, I just feel like they can be damaging to players and their reputations.”
Luiz began catastrophically at Arsenal, committing a series of high-profile errors in games against Liverpool and Manchester City, costing the Gunners dearly. But under Mikel Arteta, who recognised Luiz’s leadership, technical quality and big-game experience, Luiz actually proved invaluable in those early years in the project.
The defender was integral to Arsenal winning the 2020 FA Cup, producing a defensive masterclass against Man City in the semi-final and marshalling the defence in the final against his former club Chelsea at Wembley. He became a mentor to a young Gabriel Magalhaes, before leaving in 2021 as a genuinely respected figure.