Portland Timbers in advanced talks to appoint Phil Neville as next coach

The Portland Timbers are in advanced talks to appoint Phil Neville as their next head coach, report The Athletic on Friday.

Neville was previously in charge of fellow MLS side Inter Miami, with a record of 31-41-11 in two-and-a-half seasons at David Beckham’s club before losing his job in June.

The English coach was eventually replaced by Tata Martino, who has seen LaLiga legends Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all join the Florida club in a period of transformation.

The former Manchester United and England player took over in January 2021 before leading Miami to the playoffs in 2022. He also had a spell as coach of Spanish club Valencia, alongside his brother Gary Neville, and was in charge of England women’s national team.

Timbers miss out on playoffs

The Timbers missed out on the playoffs this season and the report adds that the club is expected to have an overhaul this winter, with several players set to depart.

Other candidates likely to make it to the final round of interviews for the role include Robin Fraser, Dome Torrent and Ezra Hendrickson.

Neville’s career

Neville played more than 500 Premier League Games across spells with Manchester United and Everton, winning six league titles and one Champions League, as well as three FA Cups. He played 59 times for England.