Phil Neville

Manchester United

Born in Bury, Greater Manchester, Neville attended Elton High School, where he captained the football team for five years. Along with brother Gary, he joined the Manchester United Academy, signing associate schoolboy forms in September 1990. In the 1992–93 season, he played 23 times for the club's junior teams, including four times in the FA Youth Cup as the club attempted to defend the title Gary had won the previous season; Neville appeared alongside his brother in the second leg of the 1993 Youth Cup final, but they were unable to overturn a 2–0 deficit from the first leg at Old Trafford, and Leeds won 4–1 on aggregate. In July 1993, Neville signed a trainee contract with the club, and in October that year he made his debut for the reserve team, coming on for Darren Ferguson in a 2–0 win over Everton in The Central League. He went on to make eight appearances for the reserves in the 1993–94 season, as well as a further 31 for the junior teams, culminating in him winning the Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year Award in May 1994, followed by his first professional contract in June. Neville made his senior debut for Manchester United on 28 January 1995 in a 5–2 win at home to Wrexham in the fourth round of the 1994–95 FA Cup. His league debut came two weeks later, when he started against Manchester City in the Manchester derby at Maine Road. He made one more first-team appearance in 1994–95, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win at home to Sheffield…

Neville was regularly picked for England squads, making his debut against China on 23 May 1996. He played alongside his brother in this match; they had appeared together in the 1996 FA Cup Final two weeks earlier and thus were the first pair of brothers to play together in an FA Cup-final winning side and for England in the same season since Hubert and Francis Heron in 1876, 120 years earlier. He was only briefly a regular first-choice player for the side, as a left-back in 2000 under Kevin Keegan's management. Under his successor Sven-Göran Eriksson, Ashley Cole was the preferred left back, followed by Wayne Bridge. Neville once briefly captained the side in a friendly match (a game in which England fielded four different captains). Despite having been in the England squad at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships, and having 59 England caps (23 as a substitute), Neville was never in an England World Cup squad. Neville's England career included the honour of being the youngest member of Terry Venables' squad for Euro 96, though he never kicked a ball (his brother played in every match until the semi-finals). He was one of the players omitted at the last minute by Glenn Hoddle when he was selecting his final 22 for the 1998 World Cup, Hoddle's decision left Neville in tears, though media attention was almost entirely devoted to the exclusion of another player, Paul Gascoigne. Neville revealed in an interview that Gascoigne, not usually noted for his maturity, took…

Neville was primarily known for his work-rate and versatility as a footballer, and was capable of playing in several defensive and midfield positions; he was usually deployed as either a full-back or wing-back, and was capable of playing on the left side, as well as the right, despite being naturally right-footed; he was even able to play as a central midfielder. Although he was not the most spectacular or offensive-minded defender, and was occasionally criticised by pundits for his lack of pace, as well as his limited passing ability and skill on the ball, he was known to be a consistent player from a defensive standpoint, who also stood out for his leadership qualities. However, he also drew criticism in the media for his uncompromising nature and tendency to pick up cards. In 2010, Varun Mathure of Bleacher Report described him as one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

Neville holds a UEFA Pro Licence. In February 2012, it was reported that Neville would help England's Under-21s coaching staff in the absence of Stuart Pearce in the Under-21 European Championship qualifier against Belgium. The Everton captain received a special dispensation to help Brian Eastick prepare the side for the game at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, as Pearce would be in charge of the senior team in the friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley. England defeated Belgium 4–0. Continuing his work with the England under-21 side, in March 2013, it was announced that Neville would join the coaching staff of the England under-21s for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. In February 2013, Neville was being considered for the England U20 managerial position for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In May 2013, Neville was interviewed by Bill Kenwright for the vacant manager's role at Everton, but the job went to Roberto Martínez. On 4 July 2013, Neville became first-team coach of Manchester United, where he would be reunited with manager David Moyes. It was announced on the same day Moyes named Ryan Giggs as player/coach. In 2014, it was announced that Neville, along with fellow Manchester United players Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt had agreed a deal to purchase Salford City ahead of the 2014–15 season. with plans to get the club to the Football League. The group announced they would take part in a special friendly, with…