Gary Neville
Gary Neville in December 2006
Gary Alexander Neville ( born February 18, 1975 in Bury, Lancashire ) is a former English footballer. He played between 1995 and 2007 the majority of assignments of a right-back in the England team, was on this position as one of the most experienced and best footballers in the world and participated in two World (1998 and 2006) and three European Cup finals ( 1996, 2000 and 2004) in part. Neville played since his youth in the English Premier League club Manchester United and won during his professional career eight British Championships, three FA Cup trophies, two League Cup expenditure and the 1999 Champions League.
Club career
The Early Years (1992-1995)
Gary Neville comes from a sports family. His brother Phil is also of current professional football players; also stood sister Tracey Neville in the English selection in Netball. Gary also played cricket in his youth and was there actively in the Bolton Cricket League. After he was in July 1991 became part of Manchester United, he made his debut a year later on 16 September 1992 in a UEFA Cup match against Torpedo Moscow. Like his brother Phil Neville went forth from the new and heavily tapered Guard of Manchester United, coach Alex Ferguson built in the 1990s. In this, " Fergie's Fledglings " ( German: " Fergie chicks " ) generation mentioned (where the nickname alluding to the also young " Busby Babes" from the 1950s ) stood beside the brothers still players like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.
Neville began originally as a central defender, but due to its relatively low at the end of 1.80 meters tall, he was retrained later on the full-back position. His sporting breakthrough he celebrated in the 1994/95 season, when he was appointed permanently Ferguson after the failure of Paul Ince at the vacant right-back posts. Neville was doing on the defensive on by leadership and heading ability; even with long interjections he made a name for himself and was thus particularly in the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace successful, as he prepared a hit of Gary Pallister.
The sporty high phase (1995-2006)
In the season 1995/96, which the "Double" in 1996 brought him from the English Championship and FA Cup, he began first on the right side of defense and moved after the injury loss of Gary Pallister in the central defense. Although there showed promising performance on the side of David May and also demonstrated an important for this position heading ability, he had to give way in the decisive final stages of the season again and the right-back post was after returning from Pallister and Steve Bruce awarded the meantime to Brother Phil been. 1-0 cup final win against Liverpool he came just one minute before the end of a Kurzeinwechslung. Nevertheless, the English players' union PFA him nominated in the " team of the season ." After good performances in the Euro 1996 in their own country and the signing of a new five-year contract he pushed his injured brother as a right -back and winning the second championship title was crowned again by a choice in the team of the season; shortly before the end of the season he had also scored against FC Middlesbrough 's first goal. The now also in the England team for regular players matured Neville grew from the following season, 1997/98 in "United" continues in a major leadership role into it. He led the team in the Champions League quarter-final against AS Monaco as a captain on the field. Italian clubs reported to be interested in a possible transfer, but Neville - despite an untitled play time - responded with marked his vows to his hometown club.
In the successful 1998/99 season that earned Manchester United to the Champions League, the English Premiership and the FA Cup, the three most prestigious trophies, Gary Neville was an important key player who specifically played towards the end of the round in a good shape and both in the semi-finals against Juventus (1:1, 3:2 ) and in the final against FC Bayern Munich ( 2-1 ) won in a total replacement weakened elf. At the beginning of the season 1999/2000 Neville had initially struggling with a groin problem, paused two months and only returned end of November 1999 sporadically in the team back. After two operations during the FIFA Club World Cup 2000, he conquered the latest towards the end of January 2000 his place back. He won in the summer of 2000, initially the fourth English championship in his career and completed the following year, the " League hat-trick ," said he in the season 2000 / 01 with 49 competitive games - the most of a United - actor in this season - not only " permanent presence " was, but also helped out as a central defender during the violation of Jaap Stam and later to its retirement at the side of Wes Brown.
Despite continued stable performance Neville went through with Manchester United in the 2001/ 02 season, a slight crisis, which touched mainly the fact that the next vacant position in the middle caused problems. At the end of the season without a title, the Neville in the Premier League just earned the third place, also came yet added unlucky when he incurred a left metatarsal. With the signing of Rio Ferdinand in July 2002, the defense network of United and stabilized Neville returned to full restoration of end of September 2002 back to his former right-back position behind David Beckham returned. The interaction of the two "old friends" turned out to be one of the best "weapons" of the club to re- championship success out - Neville is now the sixth league title.
The following three years were characterized by restlessness and reconstruction activities. Neville lost in July 2003, with David Beckham his longtime partner on the right side and the long doping ban Rio Ferdinand was followed by renewed destabilization of the United defense network. Neville, whose brother Phil also left the club in the direction of Everton in August 2005, won in those days, FA Cup 2004 only the sporty lesser League Cup two years later. Her responsibilities were Neville from December 2005 after the departure of Roy Keane as the new team captain of Manchester United.
The last years of career (2006-2011)
The fifth captain of his club after Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane, Neville took the end of the 2006/07 season after re- win the English league title, the Premier League trophy against. A "big downer " but it was the fact that Neville was injured not come in the closing stages, even used. He had sustained on 17 March 2007 after eleven minutes in the home game against Bolton Wanderers a cruciate ligament injury, which eventually left him sidelined for almost the entire episode season 2007 /08. The only use about ten minutes, he graduated in the Champions League quarter- final against AS Roma; a further contribution to the ultimate success in the " top tier " he could not afford.
In his first appearance from the beginning after 17 months Neville led his team on August 10, 2008 in the Community Shield match against Portsmouth ( 3-1 p) and almost three weeks later in the Super Cup against Zenit St. Petersburg (1:2). His regular player status he lost but now successively to other players such as Wes Brown and John O'Shea; his contribution to winning the English Championship in 2009 was relatively low with 16 inserts. End of February 2010, he won the League Cup once more, when he came off the bench in the final win over Aston Villa. In September 2010, he resigned from his position as team captain back, so this could be exercised by a player regularly used - off the field he remained as " Club Captain " first point of contact for further interests of the team.
2 February 2011, Neville announced at the age of 35 years, after 20 years at Manchester United end of his career. In the active period, he completed a total of 602 games for Manchester United, scoring seven goals - he had surpassed the four competitive games in the season 2010/ 11, the 600 - game limit. At the time of his resignation only Ryan Giggs, Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes and Paul Scholes had often stood for Manchester United on the pitch. Neville played his last game for Manchester on May 24, 2011 in a friendly match at Old Trafford against Juventus. The game ended 1-2 (1-1 ) for the Italians.
England national team
On June 3, 1995 Neville came in a friendly match against Japan on his first international match for the England national team under then- coach Terry Venables. Since then, he was a right-back from four different national coaches the first choice and broke with his 51st international match in 2002 against Italy in Leeds Phil Neal's record for most games at right-back. In his first major tournament at Euro 1996 he was in his own country the youngest British regulars and came in every game to use until he had to sit in the semi-finals due to suspension. Also in the next two tournaments, the 1998 World Cup in France and the European Championships in 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium, he was represented in the English national team. Due to a broken foot he could not participate in the subsequent 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. He struggled after successful recovery but again quickly into the team and became the first choice on its traditional position at the European Championships in 2004.
Although he was sidelined due to injury in the late phase of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he was appointed as a regular player at his position in the squad. He was there in March 2006 in a friendly against Uruguay be brief comeback before settling on 7 February 2007 with his 85th international match against Spain ( 0-1) adopted. He scraped past only briefly to the English full-back Kenny Sansom record of who had come in 86 appearances for England to use.
Play / behavior
The older of the two Neville brothers was often criticized by football fans for his unassuming game but appreciated the professional world as a solid and experienced management game from the defense out. In addition to primary defensive duties, he was especially known for his support of the attacking play on the right side. This was especially the interaction with and its property name as a defensive protection for the front of him in midfield -placed David Beckham off the pitch has a close friendship with Neville,, the long years characteristic of the "right side" of Manchester United had.
He achieved fame by his reputation to advocate strongly for the interests of other players. He aspired allegedly spearheaded a boycott of the qualifying match for the 2004 European Championship in Turkey to demonstrate solidarity to his team-mate Rio Ferdinand, who had been locked due to an unfired doping test - the intended strike did not materialize and the game took place.
In particular medial focus Neville was in January 2006 when he ran into injury time after the winning goal at Old Trafford against Liverpool Rio Ferdinand over half of the pitch and celebrated in front of the opponent's appendix. The police took this action for the subsequent unrest between the two Fanlagern responsible and Neville received from the English Football Association, a fine of 5,000 pounds - against these put Neville with the anmerkenden question of whether players in the future as "robot" behavior and no more emotions should show an objection.
Away from the active sport
Neville maintains a long- lasting connection to the island of Malta, which he had visited regularly in his childhood. He is since 2001 official tourism ambassador of the country and also works for Air Malta. In return, the tourism authorities are sponsoring the football school Gary Neville Soccer School Malta, which also informed the namesake every summer itself.
In 2005, Neville opened in the wake of a friendly match against the Netherlands, which was held under the slogan " Let's kick racism out of football" against racism, a debate that questioned the motives of the sponsors participating in question and thereby criticized that these less to committed in the matter, but wanted more profit from the advertising effect.
Achievements
- UEFA Champions League: 1999
- World Cup: 1999
- Club World Cup: 2008
- English Championship: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009
- FA Cup: 1996, 1999, 2004
- English League Cup: 2006, 2010
- FA Charity / Community Shield: 1996, 1997, 2008
- U-18 European Championship: 1993