Gary Neville: It is a nonsense to suggest football should be stopped

"Shops are still open."

Gary Neville says it would be "a nonsense to stop football amid the severe COVID-19 restrictions implemented this weekend. Boris Johnson announced on Saturday afternoon that London and many regions in the south east of England would be placed in 'Tier 4' after an outbreak of a new strain of the coronavirus which is spreading rapidly. But while football was paused during the first national lockdown earlier this year, Neville believes football should continue this season in spite of a drastic spike in cases. “I was a little bit nervous in lockdown about it coming back in the first instance. I didn’t feel we knew enough about what was going on," the former Manchester United captain said on Monday Night Football. “But a big, massive well done to the Premier League for the way in which they’ve conducted a safe return. “It’s a nonsense now if football is ever suggested to be stopped. “A number of players have had it (coronavirus), but football must continue. If you see construction, manufacturing… the shops are still open.” The current situation is different to the first lockdown, when the virus was a complete unknown, Neville believes. “That first lockdown was harsh,” Neville said. “There was a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about the virus at the time, it was something brand new in everyone’s lives. “The idea that football came back was a release for people. “Those first two or three weeks I was worried about the quality and speed of the games, because they were nowhere near the level of fitness you’d expect from them. “There was a period when it got really good and the games have been good this season. “They are producing good quality games, but there are more unpredictable results which makes it more interesting.”