Tevez has admitted his goal celebration in the 2-1 Carling Cup win on Tuesday was directed at his former team-mate at United.
“In all the press here, Gary Neville came out and stood by (Sir Alex) Ferguson’s comments, saying that I wasn’t worth 25million,” he told Argentinean radio.
“I thought he was in the wrong because we were team-mates and I never disrespected him, I always respected him.
“I feel he was a boot-licker when he stood by Ferguson’s comments that I wasn’t worth that money.
“From a former team-mate it hurts, from a coach it doesn’t surprise me.
“I would never do that gesture towards the fans, I would never show a lack of respect towards people. It was directed at Gary Neville.
“Just as I was running off to celebrate the penalty I had scored, I came across Gary and I said to myself, ‘shut your trap, keep quiet’.
“I didn’t go overboard in my celebration and it was directed at Gary, not at Ferguson and not at the fans. I didn’t even look at Ferguson.
“You have to do your talking on the pitch. I know that Ferguson loves me, that’s why he always talks about me.”
“I was the first to sit down to have lunch in the team hotel and all the papers were laid out,” he added.
“I looked at them as, although I couldn’t read them, there were (photos) of Gary Neville and they were talking about me.
“Then I asked my team-mates what it said.
“I thought to myself, ‘what’s this idiot talking about me for when I never said anything about him, when there was never any (problems) with us?’
“It was a lack of respect for a (former) team-mate, aside from the fact that we had won a lot of things together.
“Thank God I had the chance to get revenge with City, although there is still the second leg to come.”
