Tevez hits out at 'idiot' Neville

Posted Friday, January 22, 2010 by PA

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has reignited his feud with former Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville, describing him as a "boot-licker" and an "idiot" on Argentinian radio.

Tevez and Neville exchanged gestures during the clubs' Carling Cup semi-final clash at Eastlands on Tuesday night after Neville claimed in an interview at the weekend that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had done the right thing in letting Tevez leave in the summer.

The Argentina forward told ESPN Radio: "In all the press here, Gary Neville came out and stood by Ferguson's comments, saying that I wasn't worth 25million. I thought he was in the wrong because we were team-mates and I never disrespected him, I always respected him."

He added: "I feel he was a boot-licker when he stood by Ferguson's comments that I wasn't worth that money.

"From a former team-mate it hurts, from a coach it doesn't surprise me."

After Tevez converted his penalty, he ran to celebrate with the City fans, in front of whom Neville was warming up.

Tevez gestured to Neville to keep his mouth shut. Neville immediately retorted with a one-fingered gesture in Tevez's direction.

"Just as I was running off to celebrate the penalty I had scored, I came across Gary and I said to myself, 'shut your trap, keep quiet'," he explained

Tevez was upset when he first heard of Neville's newspaper comments.

"I was the first to sit down to have lunch in the team hotel and all the papers were laid out," he said. "I thought to myself, 'what's this idiot talking about me for when I never said anything about him, when there was never any (problems) with us?'"