Gary Neville: From Captain To Pundit | OneFootball

Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted saying “Gary Neville was the best English right-back of his generation.” That’s high praise, indeed.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Heineken)

Gary was a one-club player, spending his entire career with Manchester United. After retiring in 2011 he joined Sky Sports as a pundit, where he has remained off and on since. In 2014 he became a co-owner of Salford United with some fellow United teammates. He was an assistant manger for England from 2012-2016 and had a short-lived stint as the manager of Valencia. He also hosts The Gary Neville Podcast.

Player Career

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Neville captained the Manchester United youth squad to FA Youth Cup glory in his first ever season. That led to his debut for United on the 16th of September 1992 – a goalless home draw against Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup.

Neville became United’s first choice right-back in the 1994-95 season after Paul Parker was ruled out due to injury. He primarily played in that position remained until his retirement in 2011, although he would spend some long spells on the sidelines or occasionally fill a left-back role.

Neville became Manchester United’s captain after Roy Keane’s departure in 2005.His injury in March 2007 required significant rehabilitation, and his return as a substitute during an April 2008 Champions League match against Roma drew a standing ovation. Although his was not on the squad for the CL Final, he celebrated United’s victory.

In September of 2010, he stepped down as the on-field captain while still holding the club captaincy off the pitch. And on October of the same year, he was able to mark his 600th appearance for the club, but was subbed out at halftime.

Valencia

Despite having limited managerial experience, Neville was appointed to the top spot at Valencia in December 2015. The results were abysmal. He lasted just four months due to poor performances.

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The worst defeat was on the 3rd of February 2016, when Barcelona absolutely bombarded Valencia in a 7-0 victory in the Copa Del Rey semi-final. And it was only the first leg. Valencia’s defensive frailty was on clear display as Luis Suarez scored four and Lionel Messi netted a hat-trick. It was the heaviest defeat in Valencia’s history.

With only 3 wins in their past 16 games, none of which resulted in a clean sheet, the club sacked him on the 30th of March 2016 during the international break.

Additional Controversy

His career on the field or the booth has not without controversy. His criticism of the 2005 Nike Stand Up Speak Up anti-racism campaign, and refusal to wear a training jersey with that logo didn’t sit well with many. In 2006, he was fined £5,000 for an excessive celebration in front of Liverpool fans after a last-minute winner by Rio Ferdinand. His support and punditry for the Qatari media during World Cup were widely criticized.