Heron Talk presented by Gallagher
The club’s newest recruit, versatile defender Harvey Neville, shared his first words today as an Inter Miami CF First Team player following Tuesday’s announcement of his signing from the club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, Inter Miami CF II. After penning his MLS contract with Inter Miami, Neville became the third player to earn a First Team-promotion from within the organization this year.
Neville first arrived Stateside as an Inter Miami CF II signing in May 2021 after three years amongst the ranks of the Manchester United academy, and he hasn’t looked back since, capitalizing on the opportunities that have arisen and taking advantage of the tools the club provides for its player’s development.
“It was a proud moment for myself, something I’ve always been aiming towards. I was proud, my family was proud, it was a happy moment,” said Neville upon reflecting upon making the final step in the club’s development pathway, which has been a pillar of the organization since its foundation and focuses on grooming the best young talents in South Florida to develop them into professional players.
First Team head coach Phil Neville delved into what Neville will add to the Inter Miami squad as the team faces the final stages of the 2022 MLS regular season.
“He brings us depth in that position that we’ve not had all season. DeAndre Yedlin has had to play every single minute of every single game. Apart from a game or two when we played Victor Ulloa out of position, we’ve had no depth in that position. So, he brings depth, he brings challenge, he brings freshness, and he brings quality. It’s up to him now to take the next jump to the next level,” detailed Phil Neville.
Inter Miami CF II head coach Darren Powell, who has managed Harvey Neville for nearly two seasons since his arrival at the club, then stressed the importance of the club’s development pathway for its young players, including the newly signed defender.
“The purpose of Inter Miami CF II is to prepare the players for the First Team. It’s a big step up, but we want to make it as small as possible so they are as ready as they can be when Phil Neville and Jason Kreis see the time is right for them to join the First Team roster and put them into games. It’s been very good because it’s that transition step and we want to make it as smooth as possible for players. It’s an exciting time to be at the club, you have coaches at all levels that will give you an opportunity if you’ve earned the opportunity, regardless of age. That’s what we have continued to stress among our groups. Harvey has embodied that, and now as a coaching staff we’re looking for who we can help to make that jump next.”
The 20-year-old Manchester native, who so far in 2022 has made 15 appearances, all starts, in MLS NEXT Pro, and registered two assists for Inter Miami II, wrapped up by praising the work done throughout the club's development pathway, predicting many more First Team players to be produced in the future.
“It’s been great really. We’ve had three players now signed to the First Team this year… The coaches are really good at Inter Miami CF II, they’ve helped me develop so much… I think there’ll be many more signings.”
