‘Gary Neville says Manchester United great informed him he ‘wasn’t good enough, It was cruel.’
Gary Neville has revealed Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel told him he ‘wasn’t good enough’ and would cause problems for the team’ before making his move to Old Trafford.
Neville is regarded as one of United’s greatest-ever defenders, making over 600 appearances for the club in his impressive 19-year career.
The former England star is one of the most decorated players in history with eight Premier League titles as well as three FA Cups, three League Cups, and two Champions Leagues.
But it wasn’t always clear that Neville would develop into a United great, with Schmeichel seeing his arrival as a “problem” and a “risk” for the team.
“I was always loud on the pitch, I gave a lot of information to my center-back and right-wing, I would never shut up on the pitch,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky. Bet.
But when it comes to facing people, [Peter] Schmeichel was brutal to me in the first days in training. One Christmas he told me he thought I was a risk.
“He said Paul Parker was an amazing defender with a great back four and I was the first to break into that back four and he saw me as a risk because he thought I wouldn’t be good enough and cause problems.
“It was in 1998, he told me, three years after I broke in. Roy [Keane] was like that, [Paul] Ince was like that, the boss [Sir Alex Ferguson] was like that, it was almost like an initiation.”
In the early stages of his professional career, Neville “felt like he didn’t belong” in the Manchester United squad and was “overwhelmed” sharing a dressing room with the likes of Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes and Roy Keane.
“The first team dressing room I went into was [Gary] Pallister, [Steve] Bruce, [Eric] Cantona, [Mark] Hughes, [Paul] Ince, Roy [Keane],” he said.
“Honestly, I was going there and changing, there was me, Scholes, and Butty – Becks was delayed because he was a year later than us and Giggsy was already there – I remember walking back to my dressing room afterward, what I changed
“It was overwhelmingly overwhelming in terms of the presence of people in the dressing room. Mark Hughes was my hero; Bryan Robson was still at the club when I made my Premier League debut. It gives me goosebumps to be there and it scares me to death.
“I was captain of the youth team and the reserves, so I changed and went back to the youth team dressing room. [David] Beckham would be there, Phil [Neville] would be there – I felt like I didn’t belong [in the first-team dressing room].
Neville believes starting the 1995 FA Cup final, which Manchester United lost 1-0 to Everton, was the turning point in his career and made him feel an integral part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
“I went to see Manchester United in the 1983 and 1985 FA Cup semi-finals at Villa Park. So to play in that game was huge,” the 49-year-old added.
“To play in the semi-final at Villa Park, was monumental and a big step. I played against John Salak, a good winger, and I did quite well in the first game – we drew.
“We won the second game and advanced [to the final]. I felt I really belonged when [Sir Alex Ferguson] picked me at Wembley for the final [in 1995].
“I played the first half at right-back and then Steve Bruce came off at half-time and I played center-back in the second half.
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