Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has admitted that one Manchester United legend surprised him with his quality towards the “end of his career” in training sessions.
Gary Neville’s entire club playing career was spent at Old Trafford and the Manchester United legend enjoyed incredible success at the Red Devils.
The 49-year-old ex-United and England right-back made a whopping 599 appearances under legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Neville was promoted to the club captaincy under Sir Alex Ferguson after United legend Roy Keane made his exit from Old Trafford in 2005.
During his prolific spell at United, Neville lifted eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, three FA Cups and three League Cups.
The former United captain has spoken openly about his time under Ferguson, including his leadership role towards the tail end of his playing career.
Neville, who endured an ill-fated spell as Valencia manager, became one of the leading faces in punditry after he called it time on his playing career in 2011.
Neville talks Man Utd legend in training session
Speaking on the Stick to Football show, Manchester United legend Gary Neville responded to a fan question asking which player surprised him the most in training.
The former United defender shared the pitch with a roster of star-studded talent at Old Trafford, including Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.
However, Neville revealed that fellow United legend Paul Scholes was the one former teammate who made a lasting impression on him during training sessions.
Paul Scholes, much like Neville, spent his entire club playing career at United after emerging as a key figure of the famed ‘Class of ‘92.’
The 49-year-old former United star was a linchpin midfield presence for Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary teams of the past.
“I would say Scholsey towards the end of his career when we were playing possession,” Neville said on The Overlap.
“Whichever team he was on, he kept the most possession in the last five, six, seven years.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright reacted to Neville’s admission and wagered that Scholes was the type of player who “never lost” a five-a-side match in training.
“I bet he never lost a five-a-side game,” he said.
“He’s one of those players, wasn’t he?”
Man Utd legend Scholes in England training session
Paul Scholes, who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time, initially called it time on his legendary playing career at United in 2011.
However, the former United and England midfielder walked back on his retirement and returned to Old Trafford as a player in 2012.
Scholes lifted 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, three FA Cups and two League Cups at the Red Devils before calling it time on his career in 2013.
Kieron Dyer, who played alongside Scholes for England, recalled one incident where the United legend blew everyone away with what he did in one training session.
“When you talk about [Steven] Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard and Scholes, Scholes was the best of the three and yet he was asked to give way,” he said in his book ‘Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late: My Story,’ as per The Daily Mail in 2018.
“He was the absolute master of one touch in training. One day he scored three or four goals — and I’m not talking tap-ins. I’m talking 25-yarders-lodging-in-the-stanchion-type goals.
“When the session was over, the rest of the England players formed a guard of honour and clapped him off the pitch. I’d never seen that before and I never saw it again.”
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