Phil Neville

Phil Neville
Phil Neville
Personal information
Full name Philip John Neville[1]
Date of birth 21 January 1977 (1977-01-21) (age 34)
Place of birth Bury, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2][3]
Playing position Full back
Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club Everton
Number 18
Youth career
1990–1994 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1994–2005 Manchester United 263 (5)
2005– Everton 166 (3)
National team‡
England U21 7 (0)
2007 England B 1 (0)
1996–2007 England 59 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:31, 18 January 2009 (UTC)

Philip John "Phil" Neville (born 21 January 1977) is an English footballer who captains Everton and played for England. He is the younger brother of Manchester United captain Gary Neville, and the twin of England netball international Tracey Neville.

Neville won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the European Cup with his previous club, Manchester United. He can play in defence or midfield, and is often used as a full back.

Contents

Club career

Manchester United

Born in Bury, Greater Manchester, Neville, along with brother Gary, was one of "Fergie's Fledglings". He started training with the Manchester United Academy along with his brother, then later joined as a trainee, making his first-team debut in the 1994–95 season but did not get many first-team opportunities until the following season.

While at Old Trafford, Neville helped United win six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the European Cup. He was not established as the club's first-choice left-back until the start of the 2000s due to the consistency of the much older Denis Irwin.

Everton

On 4 August 2005, Neville joined Everton on a five-year contract for a fee in excess of £3.5 million. He made his debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Villarreal CF of Spain, coming face-to-face with his former Manchester United colleague Diego Forlan. The following weekend, Neville made his FA Premier League debut for the Toffees, against Manchester United. The match marked the first time Phil and brother Gary had played for opposing teams.

Neville's attitude, work-rate and willingness to play anywhere has seen him become one of manager David Moyes' favourites. On 8 August 2006 Neville was announced as vice captain to David Weir, and – on Weir's departure to Rangers in January 2007 – he became the club captain. In the Manchester United versus 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 Premiership.[4]

Neville commented in the press about the first ever red 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 against Fulham 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).[5] Whilst at Manchester United he was booked many times, such as in the 2002–03 season when he got far more cards than any other United player in all competitions, despite only starting 35 competitive games.[6] Additionally, in September 2003 Neville also received a warning from the FA regarding his future conduct for his behavior after Manchester United's game against Arsenal.

Neville scored his first goal for Everton in a 3–0 Premiership win against Newcastle United on 30 December 2006.[7] He has also scored two other goals for the club, a cross that evaded the keeper against Bolton[8] and a deflected low cross against Aston Villa.[9]

On 19 April 2009, Neville scored his penalty to help knock out his former club, Manchester United in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. He sent the keeper the wrong way, putting it low to the keeper's right.

International career

Neville has also regularly been picked for England squads, making his debut on his 19th birthday against China in 1996. He played alongside his brother Gary in this match; they had also appeared together in the 1996 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 since Hubert and Francis Heron in 1876, 120 years earlier.[10]

He was only briefly a regular first-choice player for the side, as a left back in 2000 under Kevin Keegan's management. In recent times he has struggled to make the squad with players such as Wayne Bridge being preferred as backup to Ashley Cole. He has, nonetheless, once briefly captained the side in a friendly match (a game in which England fielded four different captains).[11] Despite having been in the England squad at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships, and having 59 England caps (23 as a substitute), Neville has never been in an England World Cup squad.

Neville's England career included the honour of being the youngest member of Terry Venables' squad for Euro 96, 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 by Glenn Hoddle when he was selecting his final 22 for the 1998 World Cup. It is known that Hoddle's decision left Neville in tears, though media attention was almost entirely devoted to the exclusion of another player, Paul Gascoigne. Neville revealed himself in an interview that Gascoigne, not usually noted for his maturity, took the younger Neville brother under his wing and consoled him.

Keegan played Neville at left back in Euro 2000; Neville received criticism and a large proportion of blame for England's exit, when he committed a late foul on Viorel Moldovan which led to a penalty for Romania which Ionel Ganea scored to win the match.

Neither of the Neville brothers went to the 2002 World Cup – Phil was left out, while Gary was injured. Both were back in the squad for Euro 2004. 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. 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).

Neville was again not included in Sven-Göran Eriksson's squad for the World Cup 2006 as Eriksson wanted to give youth a chance. However, he was drafted into Eriksson's stand-by group of players after Nigel Reo-Coker withdrew through injury.[1] Neville remained in the England squad with new England manager Steve McClaren and started at right back against Andorra. He has not been called up since 2007.

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other[12] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester United 1994–95 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
1995–96 24 0 7 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 34 0
1996–97 18 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 24 0
1997–98 30 1 3 0 1 0 7 0 1 0 42 1
1998–99 28 0 7 0 2 0 6 1 1 0 44 1
1999–2000 29 0 – 0 0 9 0 5 0 43 0
2000–01 29 1 1 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 38 1
2001–02 28 2 2 0 1 0 7 0 0 0 38 2
2002–03 25 1 2 1 4 0 12 0 0 0 43 2
2003–04 31 0 3 0 1 0 7 1 1 0 43 1
2004–05 19 0 5 0 3 0 6 0 1 0 34 0
Total 263 5 31 1 17 0 65 2 10 0 386 8
Everton 2005–06 34 0 4 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 43 0
2006–07 35 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 38 1
2007–08 37 2 0 0 5 0 6 0 0 0 48 2
2008–09 37 0 7 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 47 0
2009–10 22 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 25 0
Total 165 3 13 0 9 0 14 0 0 0 187 3
Career total 428 8 44 1 26 0 79 2 10 0 576 11

Statistics accurate as of match played 16 January 2010[13]

Honours

Manchester United

Personal life

Neville was a cricketer in his youth, and a contemporary of England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in Lancashire's Under-19 side, captaining England Under-15s. Neville holds the record for the youngest player to score a century for their county's second XI, when he was 15.[14] It is said that he was good enough to have been a professional cricketer if football had not claimed him. One of his former coaches called him the greatest schoolboy cricketer he'd ever known. His father, Neville Neville, was also a well-known league cricketer in Lancashire.

Neville is married to Julie and has one son, Harvey, and one daughter, Isabella. Isabella has cerebral palsy,[15] which has led to Neville becoming an ambassador of Bliss, the special care baby charity, and a patron of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital New Children's Hospital Appeal.[16]

He made the property headlines in April 2008 when he struggled to sell his £4 million mansion in Lancashire.[17] In May 2009, he accepted a £2.6 million cash offer for the house from local businessman Matthew Greensmith.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 454. ISBN 1-85291-665-6. 
  2. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8. 
  3. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds (2008). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008–2009. London: Headline Publishing Group. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-7553-1820-9. 
  4. ↑ Ferguson gamble pays off on non-vintage night
  5. ↑ Premiership Player Discipline – 2005/06
  6. ↑ Manchester United – Player Roll Call 2002–2003
  7. ↑ "Everton 3–0 Newcastle". BBC. 30 December 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6205673.stm. Retrieved 4 September 2009. 
  8. ↑ "Everton 2–0 Bolton". BBC. 26 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7157329.stm. Retrieved 4 September 2009. 
  9. ↑ "Everton 2–2 Aston Villa". BBC. 27 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7356087.stm. Retrieved 4 September 2009. 
  10. ↑ "Red Anniversaries: 22–28 May". www.manutd.com. http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=332251&page=1. Retrieved January 27, 2008. 
  11. ↑ "Terry's timing perfect again". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 August 2006. http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/terrys-timing-perfect-again/2006/08/11/1154803097218.html. 
  12. ↑ Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
  13. ↑ Endlar, Andrew. "Phil Neville". StretfordEnd.co.uk. http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/neville_p.html. Retrieved 26 January 2009. 
  14. ↑ Slot, Owen (18 March 2008). "Athletics leads rush to rescue young talent from football's huge scrapheap". The Times: p. 88. 
  15. ↑ England star Phil Neville's joy at cerebral palsy daughter's first steps | the Daily Mail
  16. ↑ "Cause celeb: Neville on cerebral palsy". BBC News. 14 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7988219.stm. 
  17. ↑ Sunnyside House – home of Phil Neville
  18. ↑ A Neville-ending property saga is resolved

External links

Everton F.C. – current squad

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