May 1st 2024.
In the early 1990s, a young Gary Neville burst onto the scene at Manchester United. However, his journey was not without its challenges. Neville recently shared that United legend Peter Schmeichel had doubts about him and even warned him that he "wasn't good enough" and could potentially "cause problems" for the team.
Despite this initial skepticism, Neville went on to become one of United's greatest defenders, making over 600 appearances for the club and winning numerous titles, including eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups, and two Champions Leagues. However, his success was not a given, as Schmeichel saw his emergence as a potential "risk" for the team.
Neville recalled, "I was always vocal on the pitch, constantly giving instructions to my teammates. But in terms of standing up to people, Schmeichel was brutal to me in the early days of training." The Danish goalkeeper even told Neville during a Christmas do that he saw him as a "risk" and doubted his abilities.
However, Neville eventually won Schmeichel over and became an integral part of the team. He explained, "This was in 1998, three years after I broke into the first team. It was almost like an initiation, as Roy Keane, Paul Ince, and even the boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, were also tough on me."
Reflecting on his early days at the club, Neville admitted that he initially felt like he didn't belong in the same dressing room as United's veteran players, such as Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, and Roy Keane. He said, "I used to go in and get changed, then go back to the youth team dressing room. It was massively overwhelming, and it scared me to death."
Neville believes a turning point in his career was when he started in the 1995 FA Cup final, which United lost 1-0 to Everton. He said, "I had been to watch the FA Cup semi-finals at Villa Park in 1983 and 1985, so for me to play in the final in 1995 was monumental. That's when I felt like I really belonged on the team."
Despite the initial doubts and feelings of not belonging, Neville went on to have an impressive career at Manchester United and is now considered one of the club's best ever defenders. He credits his success to the tough love and guidance he received from his teammates and manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
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