DURBAN - Kia Joorabchian, the agent of Carlos Tevez, has slammed Gary Neville for comments directed at the Argentine.
Tevez joined the Red Devils during the European summer of 2007 and had a controversial two-year spell at Old Trafford. Neville criticised the now 36-year-old over his work ethic whilst he played for United, and claimed that he started messing around during his second season with the club.
Joorabchian has claimed that Neville’s comments are misleading and were made without doing adequate research.
He told Sky Sports: "Absolutely not, he was desperate to play. He scored 15 goals with seven assists, his record was superb.
"Every time, he was available for every game bar the three he missed through injury.
"I think the person's professionalism to be questioned is Gary Neville because he didn't do his homework on Carlos' career or as a reporter to say why Tevez wasn't [professional]. He never made any phone calls, he never asked the question of me or anyone to know what has happened. He just makes comments time and time again.
"By saying things like that, he is putting a mark on the back of a player who has won double or triple the trophies he has ever won. Carlos has won trophies in every single league he has ever played in, he has been nominated as player of the year in South America more than any other player in history and now, at the age of 34, he's just won the league and scored the winning goal with Boca Juniors again."
Joorabchian also downplayed reports suggesting that Tevez forced through his controversial transfer to Manchester City in 2009, suggesting that it was United who wanted to get rid of him.
"Generally speaking, Gary Neville spoke about professionalism, the treatment table and he spoke about people being in his [Tevez's] ear. What he doesn't understand is, and this is when a reporter should have the correct information, no matter who was in his ear, no matter who was speaking to him, if Man United had wanted to exercise an option, all they had to do was sign a paper and send it to the Premier League,"