After ten years as a professional with Manchester United, during which time he won sixPremier League titles, threeFA Cups, threeFA Charity Shields, theIntercontinental Cup and theChampions League, he joinedEverton in 2005, where he spent the final eight years of his playing career. Neville also played forEngland 59 times between 1996 and 2007, representing the nation at threeEuropean Championships. He could play indefence ormidfield; due to this versatility, he operated in a number of different positions throughout his career, but was most often used as aleft-back.
After earning his UEFA B Coaching Licence, Neville began his coaching career in 2012, filling in forStuart Pearce with theEngland under-21s. He then worked as a coach at Manchester United, and as assistant manager to his brotherGary atValencia inLa Liga. On 23 January 2018, Neville was appointed head coach of theEngland women's team.[4] He led the "Lionesses" to fourth place at the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Born inBury, Greater Manchester, Neville attendedElton High School, where he captained the football team for five years.[5] Along with brotherGary, he joined theManchester 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 atOld 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 forDarren Ferguson in a 2–0 win over Everton inThe 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 theJimmy 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 toWrexham in the fourth round of the1994–95 FA Cup.[6] His league debut came two weeks later, when he started againstManchester City in theManchester derby atMaine Road. He made one more first-team appearance in 1994–95, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win at home toSheffield Wednesday. The following week, he captained United in both legs of the Youth Cup final againstTottenham Hotspur; after a 2–1 loss atWhite Hart Lane and a 1–0 win atOld Trafford, the tie came down to penalties; Neville missed his kick, but two misses from Spurs meant United won the shoot-out 4–3 to claim their second Youth Cup title in four seasons.[7]
Neville's graduation and eventual establishment in the first-team meant he became known as one of "Fergie's Fledglings".[8] On 19 August 1995, in the first game of the following season, he was substituted at half-time in a 3–1 loss atAston Villa; the match is remembered for punditAlan Hansen's "You can't win anything with kids" comment on Manchester United, who went on to win thedouble.[9] He did not play at left-back frequently due to the presence ofDenis Irwin; for some time he played at right-back while his brother played in central defence, and in the1996 FA Cup Final victory againstLiverpool he played this position while Gary was an unused substitute.[10] In the crucial league game againstNewcastle United atSt James' Park in March 1996 it was from Neville's cross thatEric Cantona scored the winning goal; a result which proved pivotal in the title race.[11]
While at Manchester United, he was booked many times, such as in the2002–03 season when he received 13 yellow cards, despite only starting 35 competitive games.[12] In September 2003, Neville received a warning fromThe Football Association regarding his future conduct for his behaviour after Manchester United's game againstrival sideArsenal.[13]
On 4 August 2005, Neville joinedEverton on a five-year contract for a fee in excess of £3 million.[14] He made his debut in aUEFA Champions League qualifier againstVillarreal, coming face-to-face with his former Manchester United colleagueDiego Forlán.[15] The following weekend, Neville made hisPremier League debut for the Toffees, against Manchester United; The match marked the first time Phil and brother Gary had played for opposing teams.[16]
Neville's attitude,work rate and willingness to play anywhere saw him become one of manager David Moyes' favourites. On 8 August 2006, Neville was announced asvice-captain toDavid Weir, and – on Weir's departure toRangers in January 2007 – he became the clubcaptain.[17] In the Manchester United–Everton match on 29 November 2006, Phil and his brother Gary became the first siblings to captain their respective clubs against each other in the Premier League.[18]
Neville commented in the press about the first everred cards of his long career (he never received any playing for Manchester United), claiming that he would perhaps not have been booked in a game againstFulham if he had been playing for United. However, he finished with more cards than any other Premier League player in 2005–06 (including another red soon after his first).[19] Neville scored his first goal for Everton in a 3–0 Premier League victory againstNewcastle United on 30 December 2006.[20]
On 30 March 2008, Neville was assaulted by aLiverpool fan as he took a throw-in during the 1–0Merseyside derby Premier League defeat atAnfield.[21] On 24 April, the fan, 48-year-old Michael Blackmore, was later banned from all matches inEngland and Wales for three years after admitting common assault.[22]
On 19 April 2009, Neville scored his penalty to help knock out his former club, Manchester United, in a penalty shoot-out in thesemi-finals of theFA Cup, he sent the keeper the wrong way, putting it low to the keeper's right.[23] On 19 February 2011, Neville scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out againstChelsea to knock them out of the FA Cup, after a 1–1 draw atStamford Bridge.[24] On 9 April 2011, Neville scored againstWolves, his 12th senior goal and his first in three years.[25] On 21 September, Neville scored in theLeague Cup game againstWest Bromwich Albion, this time a clinical effort, which was the deciding goal in the game.[26] The goal was judged to be the Everton's goal of the season at the club's end of season awards.[27]
On 9 April 2013, he announced that he would leave Everton at the end of the season when his contract ended.[28] He subsequently announced his retirement from professional football.[29]
Neville was regularly picked forEngland squads, making his debut againstChina on 23 May 1996.[30][31] He played alongside his brother in this match; they had appeared together in the1996 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 sinceHubert andFrancis Heron in 1876, 120 years earlier.[32]
He was only briefly a regular first-choice player for the side, as a left-back in 2000 underKevin Keegan's management.[33][34] Under his successorSven-Göran Eriksson,Ashley Cole was the preferred left back, followed byWayne Bridge.[35] Neville once briefly captained the side in a friendly match (a game in which England fielded four different captains).[36] Despite having been in the England squad at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships, and having 59 Englandcaps (23 as a substitute), Neville was never in an EnglandWorld Cup squad.[37]
Neville's England career included the honour of being the youngest member ofTerry Venables'squad forEuro 96,[38] 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 byGlenn Hoddle when he was selecting hisfinal 22 for the1998 World Cup, Hoddle's decision left Neville in tears, though media attention was almost entirely devoted to the exclusion of another player,Paul Gascoigne.[39] Neville revealed in an interview that Gascoigne, not usually noted for his maturity, took the younger Neville brother under his wing and consoled him.[40]
Keegan played Neville at left-back inEuro 2000; Neville received criticism and a large proportion of blame for England's exit, when he committed a latefoul onViorel Moldovan, leading to a penalty forRomania, whichIonel Ganea scored to win the match.[41]
Neither of the Nevilles went to the2002 World Cup – Phil was left out of the23-man squad, while Gary was injured.[39][42] Both were back inthe squad forEuro 2004.[43] The brothers played together for England for the first time in seven years in a friendly against Spain on 7 February 2007, which England lost 1–0.[44] They hold the record number of England appearances by a pair of brothers (142) and the most starts in the same England team by two brothers (31).[45]
Phil Neville was not included inSven-Göran Eriksson'ssquad for the2006 World Cup as Eriksson wanted to give young players a chance.[46] However, he was drafted into Eriksson's stand-by group of players afterNigel Reo-Coker withdrew through injury.[47] Neville remained in the England squad with new England managerSteve McClaren and started at right-back in September 2006 againstAndorra.[48] He was not called up after 2007.[citation needed]
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 orwing-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 acentral 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 ofBleacher Report described him as one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.[49][50][51]
In 2014, it was announced that Neville, along with fellow Manchester United players Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs,Paul Scholes andNicky Butt had agreed a deal to purchaseSalford City ahead of the 2014–15 season.[59][60] with plans to get the club to theFootball League.[61] The group announced they would take part in a special friendly, with Salford facing aClass of '92 team.[62][63][64] On 22 September, the group agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to billionairePeter Lim.[65][66] Neville and Scholes briefly took charge of Salford City in a 2–1 home win overKendal Town, following the sacking ofPhil Power.[67]
Neville joinedLa Liga sideValencia, also owned by Lim, as a coach under managerNuno Espírito Santo in July 2015.[68] On 30 November, after the resignation of Nuno, Neville was named as assistant to interim coachVoro,[69] before his brother took the managerial position two days later.[70]
Neville made his England managerial debut at the2018 SheBelieves Cup, an annual invitational tournament held in the United States. On 1 March 2018, England won their opening game againstFrance 4–1 before a 2–2 draw againstGermany put the Lionesses in a position to win the competition with a victory in the final game against hostsUnited States. However, a 1–0 defeat saw them finish in second place. After an undefeated2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign, England returned to the SheBelieves tournament in2019, this time facingBrazil andJapan as well as hosts United States again. A 2–1 victory over Brazil in the opening game and a 2–2 draw with the United States meant England won the tournament for the first time by defeating Japan 3–0 in the third game, even with the United States still to play their final game against Brazil.[72]
Neville's England side finished first inGroup D, with wins againstScotland,Argentina andJapan.[74] After back-to-back 3–0 wins againstCameroon andNorway, England reached their second consecutive Women's World Cup semi-final and also securedTeam GB one of the three qualifying places allocated to UEFA for the2020 Summer Olympics.[75][76] On 2 July 2019, England lost 2–1 to the United States in the semi-finals.[77] Four days later, following a 2–1 defeat to Sweden in the third place play-off, England ended the World Cup in fourth place.[78] He came under fire for his postgame comments, calling the bronze medal match a "nonsense game."[79][80]
On 30 June 2019, the FA announced that Neville would be appointed manager ofTeam GB Women for the2020 Summer Olympics following England's successful de facto qualification performance at the 2019 World Cup.[81]
In the wake of the World Cup exit, England's form dropped as the Lionesses struggled in a series offriendlies to end the year including a 2–1 defeat by Germany atWembley Stadium on 9 November 2019. The game set a new record attendance for an England women's match at 77,768.[82] The poor run continued into 2020 as England failed to defend their title at the2020 SheBelieves Cup in March. Losses to the United States andSpain made it seven defeats in 11 games, the team's worst stretch since 2003, mounting further pressure on Neville who admitted he was personally responsible for England's "unacceptable" form amid increased media scrutiny.[83][84][85][86] On 22 April 2020, Neville announced he would be leaving his position as manager in July 2021 when his contract was due to expire.[87] AsEuro 2021, set to be hosted in England, was pushed back a year to 2022 in the wake of theCOVID-19 pandemic, Neville would no longer lead the team at the tournament.[88] Despite initially stating he would see out his contract, Neville stepped down as manager of England, and Team GB on 18 January 2021 amid speculation linking him to the vacantInter Miami CF job.[89][90]
On 18 January 2021, Neville was appointed as the head coach ofInter Miami CF, a club owned by his formerManchester United teammate and currentSalford City co-ownerDavid Beckham.[91][92] He made his debut on 18 April as the team lost 3–2 at home toLA Galaxy in their season opener.[93] After twelve games, Inter Miami had won just two games and had the worst record in MLS.[94] In October, he was fined by MLS for calling for an investigation into referees' calls against his team, while on the pitch his team had their second six-game losing run of the season.[95] The team finished their debut season 11th of 14 in theEastern Conference.[96]
In Inter Miami's first season of theU.S. Open Cup in2022, Neville led them to the last 16 before a penalty shootout loss atFlorida neighboursOrlando City SC on 25 May.[97] In his second MLS season as head coach, the club reached theMLS Cup playoffs for the first time in their history by finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference, before a 3–0 loss atNew York City FC in the first round on 17 October 2022.[98] On 7 November, he extended his contract.[99]
On 1 June 2023, Inter Miami announced that the club had parted ways with Neville. At the time, the club was in last place in the Eastern Conference. "Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change," said Beckham.[100]
On 6 November 2023, Neville was named the head coach of thePortland Timbers on a contract that runs through the 2026 MLS season. His hiring was criticised by fans and the team's largest supporters group, due to past sexist remarks that Neville made on Twitter in 2012.[102]
Neville was employed byBBC One as a commentator and pundit during the2014 FIFA World Cup. His commentary of the England–Italy match on 14 June attracted 445 complaints for his "lack of emotion and 'monotone style'".[110] He reflected on this in an online article by stating "I played it back the next day and it did not sound like it was me commentating. I was trying to be somebody I wasn't, and I knew I could do better than that".[111]
The BBC received further complaints for Neville's comments in January 2015, afterArsenal'sTomáš Rosický played a pass while looking in another direction; Neville said that if he were playing against a player doing that in training, he would deliberately injure that player. He admitted making an unacceptable comment, while the BBC stated that the tone of discussion was light-hearted enough to suggest Neville was not endorsing violence.[112]
Neville and pop singerOlly Murs in a 2014 charity football match
Neville attendedElton High School with his siblings. While in school, he captained his school football team throughout the whole five years he was there. Neville was also a talentedcricketer in his youth, and a contemporary of Englandall-rounderAndrew Flintoff inLancashire's Under-19 side, captaining England Under-15s.[114][115] Neville holds the record for being the youngest player to play for Lancashire's second XI at age 15.[116] Flintoff described Neville as a "cricketing genius" whose talents could have compared toRicky Ponting orSachin Tendulkar, if he had chosen a cricket career.[117]
Neville is the younger brother of fellow former Manchester United defenderGary Neville, and the twin brother of former international and former Englandnetball head coachTracey Neville. His father,Neville Neville, was commercial director ofFootball League clubBury.[118] His mother Jill used to play netball in the local leagues, and worked as General Manager and Club Secretary for Bury.[119]
Neville is married to Julie (née Killilea); the couple have a son,Harvey, and a daughter, Isabella.[120] Harvey is currently a player with Inter Miami and has represented theRepublic of Ireland national under-19 football team, being eligible despite being born in England as Neville's wife is of Irish descent.[121]
He made the property headlines in April 2008, when he struggled to sell his £4 million mansion in Lancashire.[122] In May 2009, he accepted a £2.6 million cash offer for the house from local businessman Matthew Greensmith.[123]
Neville becamevegetarian in 2014, after a challenge from his wife to try the diet for two weeks. He said in aPETA video that "I started to feel healthier, leaner. I started to feel great."[124]
Neville's daughter Isabella hascerebral palsy, which has led to Neville becoming an ambassador ofBliss, the special care baby charity, and a patron ofRoyal Manchester Children's Hospital's New Children's Hospital Appeal.[120] Neville has also raised money for the Good Life Orphanage in Kenya[125] and the Warrington Youth Club.[126] Neville co-founded Foundation 92 withGary Neville,Ryan Giggs,Nicky Butt, andPaul Scholes, all teammates who met playing for Manchester United in 1992. The organization supports wellbeing and outreach programs for the Salford and Greater Manchester community.[127]
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^Bostock, Adam (4 May 2010)."Award joy for Keane".ManUtd.com. Manchester United Football Club. Archived fromthe original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved30 April 2020.