1999 Intercontinental Cup winner (Manchester United)
1999 Champions League winner (Manchester United)
1994 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1997 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1999 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2000 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2001 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
2003 Premiership Champions (Manchester United)
1999 FA Cup winner (Manchester United)
2004 FA Cup winner (Manchester United)
2006 League Cup winner (Manchester United)
2003 League Cup Finals (Manchester United)
Biography
Gary Neville (born February 18, 1975) is an English
footballer who is England's most capped right back. Gary started
off his career at Old Trafford as a central defender though
subsequently was converted into a full back after it was felt he
may have been too short to play centrally.
Gary is from a sporting family; his younger brother Philip
Neville is also a footballer and their sister Tracey Neville has
represented England at netball. Gary and Phil Neville were
team-mates at both club and international level all their
careers until Phil joined Everton in 2005. Indeed, they play the
same position and therefore often found themselves as rivals for
a place in the Manchester United side, emerging together as part
of Alex Ferguson's phenomenal youth oriented fledgling side of
the 1990s that included Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, and Paul
Scholes. Their father has the rather unusual name of Neville
Neville and this gave rise to a popular chant among the
Manchester United supporters to the tune of David Bowie's song,
Rebel Rebel.
Gary made his debut for Manchester United, his only club, in
1994 and made his first appearance for England the following
year when he was picked by Terry Venables for the friendly
against Japan. He has been the first choice right back for his
country ever since, playing for four different coaches, and by
the end of 2005 he had played 77 times for England. When he came
on as a substitute against Italy at Leeds in 2002, he earned his
51st cap, breaking the record for a right back held by one of
the games truly great players Phil Neal.
Gary had been the youngest first choice player in the England
first team during Euro 96, playing in each game until the semi-final,
when he was suspended. He also played in the 1998 World Cup and
Euro 2000.
A broken foot put paid to his hopes of playing the 2002 World
Cup, but he quickly returned to the side after regaining his
fitness, and was once again the first choice right back by the
time of Euro 2004.
He has gained a reputation as a trouble making figure within the
England camp - he was allegedly the ringleader of an idea to
boycott an important Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey in support of
team-mate Rio Ferdinand who had been issued with a ban for
missing a drugs test. The strike never occurred and the match
went ahead. He was believed to be behind a similar player
protest in support of Alan Smith, after the striker was dropped
from the England squad because of an alleged off-the-field
discretion, later proven to be untrue. Neville was also thought
to be the chief instigator of the England players' snub of the
British press and media after a match. These incidents have led
to Neville being lampooned in the tabloid press, occasionally
dubbed "Red Nev" or "Citizen Neville" (after Citizen Smith). In
one paper, Neville's face was superimposed onto the iconic image
of Che Guevera.
In 2005, Gary prompted another debate in the aftermath of an
England game against the Netherlands, which had been used to
promote the "Let's kick racism out of football" campaign. Gary
questioned whether certain corporate sponsors involved in the
match believed in the cause enough to justify the publicity they
received.
The elder Neville brother is often criticised by football fans
for his supposedly underwhelming displays, but is often heralded
by football observers, Andy Gray etc, who see a competent,
experienced defender who can lead teams from the back. He is
also useful joining the attack - David Beckham has spent most of
his career with Gary playing close behind him in support, which
he has said acts as a great reassurance. The two are best
friends - Gary was the best man when David married Spice Girl
Victoria Adams.
Gary signed a new four year contract with Manchester United in
the summer of 2004 and seems now destined to spend his entire
playing career there. He is also a good candidate, injury
permitting, to achieve 100 appearances for England; or, at the
very least, become his country's most capped full back overall -
Kenny Sansom, the former Crystal Palace and Arsenal left back,
currently holds that honour with 86 caps.
Gary has a long standing relationship with the Mediterranean
island of Malta, he has been an official tourism ambassador
since 2001 and works with Air Malta to promote the country which
he has regularly visited since childhood. In return the Malta
Tourism Authority and Air Malta sponsor the Gary Neville Soccer
School on the island, which Gary tutors at every summer.
Advertisements featuring the Man Utd star in Malta are currently
running on one tram in Manchester featuring the slogan "This is
one booking I'm looking forward to."
In December 2005, Neville was appointed the new captain of
Manchester United, following Roy Keane's departure. If fit, he
will be England's first choice right back at the 2006 World Cup
in Germany, despite missing the latter stages of the
qualification campaign with injury.
In January 2006, Neville's actions were the subject of some
controversy after his celebration in front of the visiting
Liverpool fans at Old Trafford. Neville ran from the half-way
line towards the opposing fans to celebrate the 90th minute
injury-time winning-goal header by United defender Rio Ferdinand.
His actions were criticised by Liverpool player Jamie Carragher,
sections of the media and even the police - the latter blaming
him for disturbances between fans after the game. Neville was
subsequently charged with improper conduct by the Football
Association. He has since denied these charges, and a personal
hearing is due to be scheduled.
