Gary Neville and David Beckham release 17 players from Salford City squad in drastic start to new era | OneFootball

Manchester United’s former stars Gary Neville and David Beckham have released 17 players at Salford City.

The club was taken over by Neville, his brother Phil, Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes in 2014.

The new structure saw original success as the club rose through the divisions but they have been unable to get out of League Two over the last few seasons.

Salford finished in eighth position this year in the table, narrowly missing out on a playoff place.

The club has undergone a huge change in recent days however, as Beckham and Neville headed a consortium that bought the shares of the fellow co-owners, leaving them with greater power at the club.

Beckham has commented that he has been inspired by what Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have achieved at Wrexham, guiding them to three consecutive promotions to the Championship.

The former United players have already taken some major decisions according to The Sun as they have released 17 players ahead of the new season.

Player-coach Matthew Lund is one of the higher profile names to depart, alongside the likes of Conor McAleny, Liam Shephard and Ryan Watson.

Certain key players have remained such as the Supporters’ Player of the Year, Ossama Ashley.

The duo have further planned for the future as “former Portsmouth ace Haji Mnoga and ex Everton prospect Luke Garbutt have also had their deals extended” at the club.

Speaking on the new project Neville claimed, “this is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.”

“Football will come first, however it’s critical that we drive the club towards sustainability in the next four-to-five years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”

Beckham has also promised a hands-on role but he will also have to balance his responsibilities, owing to the fact he is a co-owner of Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

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