19 January 2024 , 09:05
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Gary Neville impressed Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden while debuting on the long-running BBC show, recovering from a ribbing by a guest to show off his business smarts.
Former Manchester United and England right-back Neville, who has also enjoyed a successful business career since hanging up his boots, was earlier confirmed as a guest dragon for the current season of the show. He wasn't involved in earlier episodes in the run but made his debut on Thursday night.
Fellow Dragon Steven Bartlett had a joke at Neville's expense early on, before one budding entrepreneur also took aim at him. However, Neville had the last laugh after coming through his test.
"I'm excited about Gary being a Dragon here," hopeful Billy Childs said at the start of his pitch. "Hopefully his interest in my business is better than his punditry - opinions on some teams' defending in the Premier League."
Earlier, regular panellist Bartlett had also enjoyed a dig at the ex-footballer's expense. "Isn't it good we've got a Dragon here who knows a lot about football... and Gary Neville here," he said.
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Childs attempted to interest Neville and his fellow dragons in a football memorabilia business. However, the ex-United star showed off his inside knowledge while explaining his reservations.
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Gary Neville joined the Dragon's Den panel as a guest (BBC)"I've got no doubts about the valuation of memorabilia," Neville said after Childs asked for £100,000 for 10 per cent of his business. "It's a huge market, but the elephant in the room for me is not any of the things that have been mentioned so far - it's the acquiring - because there isn't a single football player that I know that ever gives their boots, gloves, shirt away to be profited from.
"Certainly the modern player, they ordinarily would give those away to auction for charity or they would give them away as a gift to a member of the community or a fan. Football players wouldn't like the idea of their property that was gifted to someone being profited from."
Meaden, who has been on the show since 2006, was instantly impressed, praising the 48-year-old before his debut aired. "[He was] utterly brilliant and owned that chair!!" she wrote on social media, before sharing praise for the ex-footballer from several viewers of the episode.
Neville also spent time in goal during the broadcast, with Meaden among those to score past him, and she was clearly proud. "Just got a goal past @GNev2, my football career has now peaked and I retire," she tweeted.