‘Get over yourself’ – Simon Jordan delivers reality check to Dwight McNeil and girlfriend after viral post

Dwight McNeil and his girlfriend must get over his failed transfer to Crystal Palace.

That’s the view of talkSPORT co-host and ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, who has had his say on the Everton’s winger deadline day heartbreak.

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McNeil looked to be making the switch from the Hill Dickinson Stadium to Selhurst Park on Monday after a loan deal with a £20million obligation to buy was agreed.

But the move fell through at the 11th hour, with talkSPORT understanding that the relevant paperwork was not submitted to the league in time to get the deal done.

The late drama left McNeil’s partner Megan Sharpley incensed, as she took to social media to issue a lengthy post hitting out at the south London outfit.

In what was an emotional upload, she criticised the club over a lack of communication, labelling Palace’s handling of McNeil as ‘cruel’, while slamming the FA Cup holders for messing with his mental health.

McNeil shared his girlfriend’s posts on his own Instagram story, as he reflected on being ‘left in the dark’ by the Eagles.

His failed transfer, which saw him undergo a medical and agree a four-and-a-half-year contract, was one of the biggest talking points on deadline day.

Having his say, Jordan insisted that’s the brutal nature of the football industry and the loved-up couple have to move on from it.

Simon says

Speaking on the White and Jordan show on Tuesday, he said: “The fact that these footballers are rewarded so significantly does come into the equation, because it’s part and parcel of the opportunity.

“If you’re struggling in life with it being your family members or yourself with a challenge, and all too often in life people are taking things that are an adversity in life.

“A challenge, a breakup of a relationship, a loss of something that everyone has to go through every single day of their life, and out comes the mental health card. I’m sorry I look at resilience.

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“I think she genuinely feels that they are struggling with the decision that they haven’t got a move to Crystal Palace.”

Before adding: “But I’m afraid with due respect, without knowing the particulars of how tragic a move to another football club is for him, I have little time for that kind of outlook.

“You have to get over adversity, you don’t succumb to it, you are still in a remarkably privileged position that you’re playing or you’re on the staff of a major Premier League football club that you are still under contract with.

“Other opportunities will come your way if Crystal Palace wanted to sign you, now you might want a bit more courtesy and you might have expected a bit more communication.

“Maybe you should speak to your agent about the dynamics of the relationship that he’s had with the buying football club and the selling football club and ask it to be explained to you then.

“But I have to say without being too mean spirited, this is to me… what tragedy are we talking about here?

“You didn’t get a move to another football club and ultimately you might be having a difficult time at Everton.

“It might not be that you’re part of the first team, yes it is very difficult to be a Premier League footballer, yes it is very, very admirable to be the 0.1% of people that make their way to the top of the game.

“But it’s life, everybody walking down the road, everybody in life, every walk of life is told things that don’t necessarily happen and disappointing it might be, but come on now, come on.

“This idea that you’re slave labour and that subsequently you’re moved around like a piece of meat.

“First of all you have your own freedom of will, if you don’t want to go, you won’t be going.

“And if you wanted to stay at a football club that didn’t want you and sit around and pick up your wages like a lot of these players do, you do that too.

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“So this idea that you’re a piece of meat, with due respect, it’s just absolute nonsense.”

When pressed by co-host Jim White as to whether McNeil deserved to be treated with respect and kindness by Palace, Jordan had little sympathy.

He stated: “This is a business deal, and in business deals, the commodity might be a human being but it’s business.

“The human being is being transferred for £20m and there is a wage that goes with it which might be another £20m or £30m over the course of this player’s contract.

“So it’s a business transaction, and you might not like it and you might think it’s unkind.”

Interjecting, White then asked whether he is implying that McNeil and Sharpley should ‘get over it,’ leading Jordan to say: “Yes I am.

“I’m saying as disappointing as it may be, you are still at a football club, you’re not in a situation where you’re being cast asunder and you’re being disregarded full stop.

“A transfer move in the business of football didn’t happen.”

And Jordan then concluded by saying: “If you want to have empathy for it, fantastic, you do that.

“What I’m suggesting is, with due respect to the personalities involved, if you believe this kind of adversity is breaking you, wait until something really bad happens in your life.

“Wait until you’re out of the world of football where you’re protected and cosseted and looked after and rewarded when you’re not entitled to it.

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“Wait until nobody cares about you. Wait until you’re confronted with the real world.

“Dwight McNeil is paid very well to perform as a professional footballer and to do his job.

“If you want to set up a counselling function inside every single bleeding business to be able to manage the affairs of people outside of their function, then how is business supposed to run?

“My reaction to somebody who was close to me would be with due respect, pull yourself together.”

McNeil will now be turning his attention to Everton’s clash away at Fulham on Saturday, where he is looking to make just his eighth Premier League start this season.