Gary Neville's FIVE failed restaurants: How series of eateries closed

Gary Neville captained one of Manchester United's greatest sides and represented his country 85 times.

An outspoken commentator with a passion for business and politics, the 49-year-old has invested in countless projects since drawing his 20-year football career to a close in 2011.

The Sky Sports pundit has ventures in everything from hotels and restaurants to property and digital marketing, which have netted him millions of pounds. 

But Neville's booming hospitality business empire appears to be dramatically stalling - as the ex-Premier League star has been forced to shut the doors on a fifth restaurant with £1million debts.

The closure of The Man Behind The Curtain, a Michelin-starred venue in Leeds, is not the first time Neville has been forced to accept defeat and walk away from a restaurant.

MailOnline looks back at the five failed restaurants that Neville has had to close in recent years.

The Man Behind The Curtain 

Launched in 2014, The Man Behind the Curtain was run by Masterchef star Michael O'Hare, with Neville owning 50 per cent.

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The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in October 2015, as well as three AA Rosettes in 2016 and attracted investment from Neville.

After opening, it gained a reputation for modern but unique dishes including olives wrapped in edible cellophane, salt and vinegar ox cheek, and chocolate pudding and pork rinds.

But it closed its doors at the end of 2023 and O'Hare has since opened a new restaurant in the city called Psycho Sandbar.

Now, newly-filed documents with Companies House, have shown that Neville's company Relentless Leisure is owed £366,848.

The accounts for 2023 are overdue, but those for 2022 reported a profit of £187,000 and reserves of £105,938, The Sun reported.

The Rabbit in the Moon

Neville and his former Man United team-mate Ryan Giggs invested in The Rabbit in the Moon before it closed in 2017.

The Class of 92 duo teamed up with O'Hare again after making him the Creative Director of GG Hospitality in 2016.

The aim was to run a modern Asian restaurant in Manchester, but it shut its doors after a year.

The menu boasted unique options including fried calf brains, crispy rabbit ears and an octopus hot dog.  

 The fancy restaurant was located on the top two floors of Urbis, a six-storey building on Manchester's Exchange Square. 

Launched with the hope of winning a Michelin star, the space-themed restaurant closed in 2018 after GG Hospitality reported significant losses to shareholders. 

It was dubbed by one food critic as the 'most bonkers restaurant' they had ever reviewed.

Café Football 

GG Hospitality also struggled to make ends meet in 2019, having to close two Cafe Football sites after six years.

The venue was initially based in a huge space in the Westfield shopping centre at Stratford in east London.

Opening in 2013, customers were offered a selection of Fans' Favourites, ranging from pie, mash and liquor, to chilli with steamed rice and soured cream. 

Following its success, Neville and Giggs then decided to open a second venue in Manchester, but that closed in March 2019.

The two venues were both closed in early 2019 after GG Hospitality decided to shift its focus into their hotel businesses.

At the time, Neville honestly revealed: 'They were decisions made by me while Ryan has been coaching...but we all learn don't we?' 

A third venue is still open in Singapore, but it is operating through a different company.

A smaller version of Cafe Football has opened inside Neville's Hotel Football, which overlooks Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford. 

The Stock Market Grill 

The restaurant inside Gary Neville's Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester closed just four months after opening its doors. 

The Stock Market Grill replaced celebrity chef Tom Kerridge's Bull and Bear restaurant.

But on July 3, it released a statement saying it had decided to 'close the doors to Stock Market Grill' with immediate effect. The restaurant was not run by Neville but by the people who own the hotel's cocktail bar, Sterling.

A statement released by the hotel read at the time: 'We have taken the decision to close the doors to Stock Market Grill, as of July 3.

'We want to focus on the hotel's premium cocktail bar, Sterling, in the Vault.

'The restaurant will, however, continue to serve breakfast and in-room dining to all overnight guests.'