In exactly 400 league games for United, and many more in Europe and in cups, as well as 85 caps for England, Neville secured his reputation as one of the steadiest, most consistent full-backs in the world and, for a time, was rated as among the best anywhere in the planet.
What made Gary Neville so special?
An engine that never ran out mixed with a massive consistency and fearlessness in the tackle, Neville was a major part of the United teams of the 1990s who were so successful. Through his career, Neville always showed excellent positional sense and always looked more than capable of competing with any player. His lack of pace (relatively) paired with mediocre crossing was never a holdback, though, as United found ways to utilise his excellent defensive covering and tactical brain to their advantage.
As one of the ‘Class of 92’, Neville became a symbol of the rebirth of United under Sir Alex Ferguson, and was a key face of the Ferguson era until his retirement in 2011.
What does Gary Neville do now?
A business owner and owner of a football club, Salford City, Neville also spends much of his time on TV as a pundit for Sky Sports. He endured a swift spell in management, taking over at Valencia C.F. in Spain before lasting only half a season.
Neville, though, has become a frequent voice on everything from matters of social change in football to topics involving ownership, governance, and finance within the game, becoming a leading voice within English football on various topics.