Gary Neville takes on new role days after Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United axe

Gary Neville has been employed in a freelance capacity as a Manchester United ambassador, just days after it was revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson's ambassadorial contract was not being renewed

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has been performing freelance ambassador duties for the club, just days after it was revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson's full-time ambassadorial contract is coming to an end. Ferguson had a deal worth millions of pounds per year, recognising his successes as the treble-winning manager.

However, new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been implementing cost-cutting measures since taking over football affairs, and the latest step has been to terminate this expensive contract. Several other ex-Man United players have different ambassadorial roles, with varying responsibilities.

Neville, who is part of the club's stadium taskforce as Ratcliffe considers proposals for a 'Wembley of the North', recently represented the club in India. The 49 year old participated in a panel at the Minerva academy in Mohali.

He travelled to India for the Apollo Tyres flagship grassroots football programme, appearing as part of the 'United We Play' programme which the tyre company says aims "to enable our next-generation players to reach their optimum performance by unlocking their potential".

As understood from The Sun, Gary Neville took to the stage in India not as a representative of any organisation but in his capacity as a freelancer. The former Manchester United and England defender juggles various roles, frequently appearing as a pundit across TV networks both in Britain and the US, with a recent event photo capturing him amidst a backdrop adorned with various logos alongside the renowned Manchester United crest, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile,Ferguson found himself elsewhere on Saturday after headlines emerged about the end of his ambassadorial role at Old Trafford. He chose to spend his day at Parkhead, watching his old team Aberdeen rally to secure a 2-2 draw against Celtic after being two goals down.

Rumours have also swirled that Ferguson, the architect behind all of Man United's Premier League triumphs, had received a ban from the team's dressing room. With Ferguson absent, a faction of the home crowd didn't miss expressing their support for the octogenarian.