GARY NEVILLE has confirmed that he will work for ITV and beIN Sports at the Qatar World Cup.
The Manchester United legend has vowed to highlight human rights issues while working for Qatari-owned beIN.
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He tweeted: “Yes, I’m going to the World Cup and, yes, working for ITV and Bein. I will highlight those issues I have for years.”
Neville, 47, was critical of living conditions for World Cup workers during a recent trip to Qatar.
During the Sky Sports documentary, he said: “It’s a Portakabin with four curtains and two lockers on each side.
“The wealth in this country and that level of accommodation for people, with the sacrifice they are making… It’s inequality like you wouldn’t believe. It’s staggering.”
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, while women have to seek permission from men to marry, travel and pursue higher education via the male guardianship system.
Neville’s old pal David Beckham signed a multi-million deal with Qatar to be the face of this year’s World Cup – something the pundit failed to mention while interviewing Golden Balls on The Overlap earlier this year.
Quizzed why he didn’t mention it during a recent appearance on The Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, Neville said: “I just wouldn’t ask him about human rights in Qatar.
“The reality of it is he has a deal with Qatar, he’s comfortable with that. There are other people to be fair in Europe and this country… English players will all go over to the World Cup this summer, the FA will go to the World Cup in Qatar and play in Qatar.
“If they were that annoyed about it they wouldn’t go. I’ve been to Qatar for the last 10-15 years.
“I’ve been going to Dubai since 2002, so you could argue in some ways I’m integrated into Middle Eastern society and I like the idea of working in the Middle East myself.
“I’ll work with Middle Eastern TV companies during the tournament in December and have no problem with that, but still feel comfortable calling out their human rights.
“I wouldn’t ask David Beckham about human rights in Qatar, I just wouldn’t do that.”
He then added: “That’s the reality of life. I’m willing to go over and spend money in Abu Dhabi or spend money in Qatar, spend money in the Middle East.
“Receive money from them for programmes or for what would be television appearances.
“The reality of it is, I genuinely believe every region in the world has its own c**p, they do.
“They have their own issues, their own things that they’ve got to deal with.
“My view would be that I’d rather work in a world where we do continue to deal with these countries and these regions – but what we try and do is soften their approaches on things like human rights and workers’ rights and the LGBT rights – these are issues that need to be addressed and dealt with.
“Do we do that in the room or do we do that out the room? I’ve always felt we should do that in the room.”
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