Gary Neville gives fans ‘unexpected treat’ as he joins The Reytons for huge performance

Former footballer Gary Neville left fans shocked when he joined a huge band on stage.

The Sky Sports pundit is no stranger when it comes to working with Rotherham-based band The Reytons having teased fans last year that he would be joining them on stage. At the time, Neville, 50, joked that he was taking the place of bassist Lee Holland who was suffering from a broken arm.

But as the South Yorkshire band headlined Aviva Studios in Manchester, it appeared that Gary was keen to carry on with his involvement with the band. The former Manchester United legend stepped out on stage on Saturday night, equipped with a bass guitar in his hand.

It came months after speculation over whether the England defender would actually appear on the stage with the band following their viral video in September last year. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the band shared an electrifying video of the moment and fans couldn’t contain their excitement.

Captioning their upload, the band penned: “Reytons X Gary Neville. Manchester!!! Last night was unbelievable… What a way to end the tour!! Thank you to every single one of you who joined us across the UK and Ireland… It’s been incredible! Thanks to our amazing team of family and friends for all the hard work, commitment, late nights and early mornings!! From pubs to arenas… Who’d have thought it”?

Fans instantly rushed to the replies, with one penning: “What a f***ing night”! A second went on to add: “Amazing night as always. But what an unexpected treat to see @GNev2 on stage. Absolute riot”! “This is ace”, commented a third. Meanwhile, a fourth typed: “Let Gary be at Tramlines”, following the news that the band will be headlining the Sheffield festival later this year.

Gary joined the lads on stage for their hit, Low Life, with the 5, 000 audience members at the sold out show instantly going wild. Following the performance, frontman Jonny Yerrell said: “He is honestly one of the most down-to-earth and nicest people we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with”.

Reflecting on their Grassroots Foundation initiative, Jonny went on to add: “Last year, we launched our foundation and provided full football kits to 50 grassroots teams. We’re planning to do even more this year”! But it wasn’t just Gary’s cameo that received praise during the show.

The band have rallied behind Sophie White, 22, from their hometown, who is battling a brain tumour. Days before their performance, they announced they’d be raffling off the sign from their headline show at Clifton Park with Crowdfunder. Sophie who was in attendance at the show discovered that they had raised an eye-watering £10, 000 in just two days. The crucial funds will allow Sophie to travel to Germany to undergo potentially life saving treatment on Monday.

Last year when the band announced their tour, they shared a hilarious video on social media holding auditions for Lee’s role, with Gary admitting he was “nervous” but “ready” for the action as he took to the stage. After being asked why he thinks he could be good for the role, Gary says: “If Lee can play for The Reytons, then so can I”. The clip then shows bandmates asking Gary to show off his dance moves, dietary requirements and also how fast he can drink a pint of beer. He is then challenged to game of Higher or Lower, before undergoing a blind taste test, successfully grabbing a greasy burger meal over a salad.

After passing all the tests, Jonny tells Neville: “You’ve literally ticked every box there pal. But I think the only question is now, you know, what’re you actually like on bass”? The sports icon added: “I’ve never played bass in my life”. Moments after Jonny admitted: “You’re in”.

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Source: Mirror