Salford City co-owner Gary Neville has lifted the lid on why newly-appointed Chester managers Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson left the Ammies.

The duo parted company with Salford just under a fortnight ago with Neville blaming ‘irreconcilable differences’ for the decision despite guiding the Ammies to the National League North title last month, Chester moving to appoint the pair just a week later.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the ex-England and Manchester United right-back, who bought Salford alongside a group of former United players including Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt, explained how his relationship with Morley and Johnson had felt like ‘worlds colliding’ in recent months, with a split becoming inevitable as their differences grew wider.

“It was coming for months and months,” revealed Neville.

“They are two incredible characters who demand a lot. It’s been like worlds colliding knowing this moment has been coming. People have suggested we always wanted to get rid.

“If we had wanted to do that we’d have done it last year when we didn’t get promoted or the year before. We don’t make decisions like that. Those two managers have done an incredible job for this club.”

Neville defended the duo when asked if they had demanded more money, citing a disagreement over the lengths of their contracts as the reason for parting by mutual consent.

“I was leading in the meeting last week, I knew it would be tense and wouldn’t go particularly well, the type of blokes they are is the type of person I am. It just felt like we needed to jump off the roundabout,” he continued.

“They didn’t leave because they were asking for more or because we wouldn’t pay, it was more over principles on lengths of contract… it was coming.”

The Ammies have since appointed former Fleetwood and Scunthorpe manager Graham Alexander as their new boss, who has been handed a four-year contract as he prepares to put together a squad capable of gaining promotion to the Football League.

Was he tempted to take over at Salford himself, or hand Paul Scholes the job?

“I will never manage this club,” he added.

“If he (Scholes) was the absolute best person we would appoint him, but we felt as though Graham was best person for job. We met with him and I got comfortable straight away.”

The Sky Sports pundit, property developer and former Valencia boss is currently looking to find a permanent training complex for Salford after plans to redevelop several pitches in Stretford at Turn Moss fell through, amid protests from a number of local residents.

“There is a deepening mistrust (of the system) in communities and it comes from the very top,” he said.

“All we ever wanted to do was put some decent pitches in. It’s a loss for the community and for the local sports teams who are desperately disappointed. People will see it play out somewhere else.”