past tense - "I have never said" versus "I never said"

I have never said this.
I never said this.

• Is the usage of have in the first sentence justified or grammatically correct?


• What is the difference in meaning?


• When should I use one form over the other?

• Next punctuation - Comma in conditional sentence and in antithesis
• Previous meaning - If I was an airline pilot vs. If I had been an airline pilot 10 years ago