Gary Neville has admitted that one Manchester United legend was “brutal” towards him during his emergence at Old Trafford under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 49-year-old former Manchester United right-back was one of the famed ‘Class of ‘92’ members who broke into the first team at the Red Devils.
Gary Neville spent his entire playing career at Old Trafford and established himself as a key figure at United under Red Devils legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
The United legend, who has become a leading face in punditry, made a whopping 602 senior appearances for the Red Devils before retiring in 2011.
During his time at Old Trafford, Neville lifted eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, two FA Cups and three League Cups.
The former United defender previously admitted he became a key locker-room figure for Ferguson after he inherited the captain’s armband from fellow legend Roy Keane.
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Neville talks Man Utd legend’s tough love
Gary Neville appeared on the latest Stick to Football episode alongside ex-Manchester United teammate Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott.
The ex-United skipper stepped down from his presenting role for the show and was the focal point of the episode, with Ian Wright filling in as a replacement host.
Neville opened up about his emergence into the United first team and filling the big boots of Paul Parker at right-back after the impact of his ex-teammate.
However, the former England international had a tough time convincing United legend Peter Schmeichel during his early period in the first team.
Neville admitted that Peter Schmeichel was “brutal” to him in training and once told him at a Christmas party that he thought he was a “risk” in the team.
“I was always vocal on the pitch, I’d give loads of information to my centre-back and right winger, I’d never shut up on the pitch,” he said on The Overlap.
“But in terms of standing up to people, Schmeichel was brutal to me in the early days in training. He told me one Christmas do that he thought I was a risk.
“He said that Paul Parker was an amazing defender with a great back four and that I was the first person to break into that back four and he saw me as a risk, thinking that I wouldn’t be good enough and would cause problems.
“This was in 1998, he told me, three years after I’d 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.”
Neville on his early Man Utd career
Neville admitted that it was “massively overwhelming” for him when he first stepped into the United dressing room alongside a roster of star-studded talent.
The Sky Sports pundit crossed paths with several club legends, including the likes of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson and Keane.
Neville also revealed that he was in awe at being in the same locker room as United legend Mark Hughes, who was his “hero” growing up.
“The first-team dressing room I went into had [Gary] Pallister, [Steve] Bruce, [Eric] Cantona, [Mark] Hughes, [Paul] Ince, Roy [Keane],” he said.
“Honestly, I used to go in there and get changed, there was me, [Paul] Scholes and Butty [Nicky Butt].
“Becks [David Beckham] was delayed as he was a year later than us and Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] was already there. I remember that I used to walk back into my own dressing room after I’d got changed.
“It was massively overwhelming in terms of the presence of the people in the dressing room.
“Mark Hughes was my hero; Bryan Robson was still at the club when I made my Premier League debut. I’ve got goosebumps of me being in there and it scares me to death.”