Phil Neville loves life in America, DeAndre Yedlin can sing, CNB new Inter Miami sponsor
Phil Neville and his family are loving life in America and have no plans of returning to England anytime soon.
The Inter Miami coach, entering his second season with the team, is determined to get the team to the playoffs and remain with the club for years to come.
“We were in a rented accommodation for three months and I came home one day, we had just lost a game and my wife said, `We’re not renting anymore, we’re buying, we’re committed to this,’ so we bought a house in Fort Lauderdale,” Neville said on an MLS preseason conference call Thursday, nine days before Miami’s Feb. 26 home season opener against the Chicago Fire.
He said his 19-year-old son Harvey, a reserve player who has been getting time with the first team, is “having the time of his life” and his daughter Isabella passed the driving test on Wednesday.
“She was a girl that was in England in the school education system and now she’s at a really good school in Miami and wants to go through the American college system, which scares the living daylights out of me,” Neville said, smiling. “She’s totally bought into the American way of life. We’re a family that commits fully, we don’t go half-measures. We’ve got no house or property in England. There’s nothing to go home for, apart from family. We love living in the U.S. We want this be a success and I want longevity. I want to repay the faith (owners) Jorge (Mas), Jose (Mas) and David (Beckham) put in me.”
DeAndre Yedlin impresses
Asked his early impressions of newly signed U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin, Neville said he blew the team away with his singing voice.
“He’s got one of the best voices I’ve ever seen from a footballer,” Neville said. “His initiation song was incredible. He had the whole room up dancing.”
He added that Yedlin has become a calm leader in the locker room. “We have so many young guys going 100 miles per hour, so keen to impress, he just brings a little bit of calmness to the group.”
Injury report
A dozen Inter Miami players have dealt with some sort of injury during the off-season, but Neville is optimistic he will have “90 to 95 percent” of them fit and ready to play for the opener.
The latest injury was a heartbreaker to the whole squad, as 19-year-old defender Ian Fray, a promising player from Coconut Creek, will miss his second season in a row with a torn ACL. He had just come back from ACL surgery and was having a fantastic camp when he re-injured the knee on Tuesday.
Neville said it was an emotional day, the team flew in Fray’s father for support and the players took him out for pizza to lift his spirits.
Other players still on the mend include Kieran Gibbs, Robbie Robinson, Nick Marsman, Victor Ulloa, Bryce Duke, and Edison Azcona.
“The injuries over the last 10 days have been a major frustration, but there is major light at the end of the tunnel,” Neville said. “Everybody’s in their last stage of return to play. We had a lot of younger, new players coming in that were really excitable, pushed themselves probably too quick too soon, but it’s part of the adaptation period.”
City National Bank sponsorship deal
In addition to a new-look roster and a new pink jersey, Inter Miami will start the season with a new major sponsor.
The club announced Thursday that it entered a multi-year partnership with City National Bank (CNB), one of the largest Florida-based banks. Under the partnership, CNB becomes The Official Bank of Inter Miami CF, marking the bank’s first alignment with a major league sports team as the bank expands its brand awareness and reach.
“City National Bank is synonymous with South Florida,” said Jorge Mas. “As a long-time customer of City National Bank, I know firsthand the opportunities they provide South Florida’s families. I am excited for our teams to bring this partnership to life just in time to kick off our third season.”
The partnership will include City National Bank branding on in-stadium signage during all Inter Miami home matches and the bank’s clients will receive exclusive access and unique experiences with the team.
“As we grow our presence and brand throughout Florida, it’s fitting that CNB is aligning with a global club that represents one of the most beloved sports in the world,” CNB vice chairman and CEO Jorge Gonzalez said. “We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with Inter Miami CF, of what it represents to our clients and employees, and we look forward to advancing the love of Fútbol throughout the communities we serve.”
Inter Miami has been training in Charleston, South Carolina, this week and plays its final preseason game on Saturday night against Charlotte FC. Also, on Saturday the club will reveal its long-awaited pink home jersey.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Phil Neville loves life in America, DeAndre Yedlin can sing, CNB new Inter Miami sponsor."