How did Phil Neville influence Josef Martinez’s move to Inter Miami?

Josef Martinez let out that head coach Phil Neville played a crucial role in bringing him to Inter Miami.

The David Beckham-owned club announced the forward’s transfer on Monday. Miami bought him out of his Atlanta contract using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).

Josef Martinez left Atlanta as a club legend despite the infuriating relations with the club in the last year and a half. The forward joined the club in 2017 and leaves as one of the most important players in club history. He featured in 158 games for the club, scoring a club-record 118 goals during his time there.

The Venezuelan had an incredibly successful tenure with Atlanta, winning the MLS Cup, US Open Cup, and Campeones Cup. His individual accolades include winning the MLS MVP and Golden Boot awards in 2018.

What did Martinez have to say about Phil Neville?

Despite his love for Atlanta, Martinez opened up about the possibility of joining Inter Miami. The Miami club was in talks for a long time, and head coach Phil had some casual chats with players.

He said: “I had a conversation when I was in Atlanta with Phil after we played them a couple of times. He tried to say, “Oh, you have to come here.” I said, “One day, this is possible.”

It’s not surprising at all, given his quality, that Miami and Neville had their eyes on the Venezuelan. The forward has played against the Herons on four occasions, winning three and drawing one. Furthermore, he scored in every single game, totaling 4 goals and an assist.

By bringing Josef in, Neville has not only added quality to his attack but also saved his team the trouble of defending against him.

Martinez added: “Phil I think was the person who insisted the most [in signing me]. He insisted, and we’re here. I think it was a big piece of why we’re here. Since everything is new, you have to start little by little to get to know everyone. But they have opened the door for me, I’m one part of the team.

“We’re soccer players, and we want to win. We’re all competitive, and I think that’s the most beautiful thing. I think it’s a beautiful group, and I’m waiting for the first game.”

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