We are convinced Phil Neville is a comedy genius - he just doesn't realise it.
On the same night of football punditry that he produced
this innuendo and pleased-as-punch reaction, he also inadvertently produced a moment of perfect comedy timing that had Liverpool fans loving a perfect encapsulation of the tragicomic fortunes of their Merseyside rivals.
Seeing as Chelsea were hosting Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final, the BBC production team decided to feature a clip of one of Neville's more glorious individual moments against the London club. They replayed the former utility man's winning penalty during a shootout at Stamford Bridge in 2011.
It helped the Toffees overcome a vintage Chelsea side featuring Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and John Terry after a 1-1 stalemate in 90 minutes plus extra time. The footage showed Neville rocketing his penalty into the net and striking a heroic pose whilst being mobbed by teammates and adored by away fans.
He could have left it like that and basked in the reflected glory of a great moment, but Neville couldn't help himself. Smiling wistfully at the scene, he added in matter-of-fact fashion: "We got knocked out to Reading in the next round."
Suffice to say, it went down well with Scousers of a red persuasion...
https://twitter.com/ApuStain/status/841390519989100544
https://twitter.com/BillyBeanpole84/status/841392399918211072
https://twitter.com/ThatGed/status/841392998839652352
