Ferguson tribute to icons Scholes, Neville

After victory at Arsenal, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson attended a Football Writers' Association tribute evening to honour Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.

The pair, two of United's most decorated players, became the first dual recipients of the glamorous award given by the FWA.

Ferguson said of the pair: "They are phenomenal professionals who were dedicated to their jobs and that is why they lasted so long.

"For Manchester United to bring through two local boys who then spend 18 or 19 years with you is fantastic."

Despite both players enjoying long and successful careers with United, off the field Ferguson revealed they could not be more different.

"I think that Gary is a very forthright guy and speaks the truth and is prepared to say it and he has always been that way," he said.

"I think you see him on television now and he is fantastic because he is forthright and there are no side issues. There is no grey area with Gary, it is very black and white, whereas Paul doesn't say much but when he says something it is worth listening to."

Charlton: Scholes my favourite

Paul Scholes and Gary Neville were given a dual tribute by the Football Writers' Association yesterday.

Scholes has drawn plaudits from all quarters and was praised by another hero of Old Trafford, Sir Bobby Charlton.

He said: "You shouldn't have favourites I suppose but Paul was special.

"He had a natural ability that was breathtaking to see in a young boy and his peripheral vision was amazing."

Neville, too, was quick to praise his long time team-mate and friend.

He said: "As a player he is a great player and the best I've ever played with and to be fair most players who have played with him or against him say the same thing.

"You can think about people who played for the club for three, four or five years and had a great impact but Scholesy and Ryan (Giggs) have played for the club for 20 years and had an impact season after season.

"When you see him getting mentioned in the same league as (Zinedine) Zidane and Xavi, which he constantly does, not by me but by people who know much more about the game than me and who have played against him."

Ferguson: An inch taller and Gary Neville would've been greatest

Sir Alex Ferguson says Gary Neville could have been a world great - if he was taller!

Ferguson was interviewed by Italy's ExtraTime and discussed his former club captain.

"Had he been an inch higher, he would have been the best. His father is 6 feet and 2in, I would check the milkman ...," joked Ferguson.

Neville: Ferguson will want to buy midfielder

Gary Neville feels Sir Alex Ferguson would like to buy a new midfielder in January.

Neville wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "It’s obvious that Sir Alex Ferguson would want to strengthen in that area if he could.

"But, 100 per cent, what he won’t do is rush into a decision this January and buy a player for cover. Instead, he will trust in Paul Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe to do a job there and for Phil Jones and Park Ji-sung to fill in. He would much rather that and ride out a difficult period than rush to buy. Because one thing is for sure: he won’t be panicked into buying unless the player is of sufficient quality to make a long-term contribution to the club."

Beckham: I will buy an MLS club, hire Neville and then sack him!

David Beckham says he would love to purchase a Major League Soccer franchise, hire former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville as coach and then sack him.

The LA Galaxy star has a clause in his MLS contract that allows him to buy into a club once his playing days in North America are over and he has jokingly told MirroFootball it would be fun to bring in former defender Neville as the manager – and then get rid of him!

“I might hire Gary Neville as manager,” Beckham quipped. “And then fire him!”

Neville in shock over family SCOUSE ROOTS!!

It's been revealed Manchester United legend Gary Neville descended from Scousers!!

Genealogists have discovered that the former Manchester United defender is descended from great, great, great grandparent who were born in Merseyside.

Neville has long been an Anfield hate figure after repeatedly speaking of his dislike for Liverpudlians.

He once said: "I can't stand Liverpool, I can't stand the people, I can't stand anything to do with them."

The Sky Sports pundit found out the truth on James Corden's panel show A League Of Their Own, in an episode to be screened on Saturday.

When told his relatives were Liverpudlian, he holds his head in his hands and shouts "f***" - but refuses to pose holding a Liverpool shirt with his name on the back.

Neville: How Ferguson treated my retirement

Gary Neville has hailed the innovation of manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Neville wrote in his column for the Mail on Sunday: "He has regenerated teams every three to five years, has never been afraid to take big decisions to nip problems in the bud and even in this modern era, with bigger squads and player power, he remains in absolute control.

"He can also diffuse any potentially difficult situation. I remember the day I retired. I went in to his office to say I was finished. He replied: 'Typical Neville. Over-emotional. Go to Dubai. I'll see you in two weeks.'

"People forget how many innovations he started. Squad rotation, having four strikers, playing different teams in the League and the FA Cup - he did all that in the early 1990s and was slaughtered for it, before everyone followed his example."

Neville: West Brom winger Thomas ended my career

Gary Neville admits West Bromwich Albion winger Jerome Thomas ended his career last season. 

 Neville says his performance against the Baggies convinced him he couldn't cut it at the top level any more. He wrote in his new book, 'Red', "With my obsessive attention to detailed preparation - the right number of leg weights, sprints, stretches - I knew I wasn't ready.

 "Others might get away with cutting corners but, right through my career, if I wasn't in the right condition, I was half the player. 

 "Then I saw Paul Scholes in the canteen after I'd spoken to the manager, I told him my fears. 'This is going to be messy,' I said. 

 "He laughed. "'You don't mean Lionel.' Typical Scholesy, ready to take the mickey. "So now, at half-time against West Brom, I was staring at the toilet door and all my worst fears were coming true. 

 "I was making Jerome Thomas look like Ronaldo. It would have been even worse if the referee had spotted my trip on Graham Dorrans in the box.

 "I deserved a red card; if justice had been done, my career would have finished there and then with a lonely, embarrassed walk to the dressing room. 

 "I'd got off lightly, but I wasn't going to avoid the wrath of the manager at half-time. "I walked into a predictable, and deserved, blast for poor positioning. 

Perhaps sensing my troubles, Rio Ferdinand stuck up for me, offering to take the blame for one of West Brom's chances. "It was good of him to put his hand up because I didn't have the stomach to argue back at the manager. 

 "All I wanted to do was get through that second half and get home."

Gary Neville says Liverpool haven’t got a prayer in the title race

Gary Neville has told old rivals Liverpool their desperate 21-year wait for the title is set to continue.

The Kop are starting to dream again with Kenny Dalglish back in charge and more than £100million spent on new players this calendar year.

Ex-Manchester United skipper Neville knows all about the longing which comes from such a barren run.

He grew up as a United fan and was coming through the ranks as they ended their own 26-year wait for a title in 1992-3.

And he reckons it has got to the point where Liverpool NEED to win it again - although he does not see it happening this year.

Neville, 36, who hung up his boots last season, said: "Liverpool are getting to that point where they need that success now. The club demands it.

"Going back to 1992-3 you just become very desperate and very wanting. You become needy.

"You feel like it's a goal, it's a challenge, rather than something to get excited about.

"You can see exactly what Kenny Dalglish is trying to do there. He has brought an identity back to the club.

"Whether they can go on and win the title... I'm not sure whether that will happen this season."

Neville predicts his old club United will be battling with regular rivals Chelsea. But he believes Liverpool are one of three clubs who will be waiting to pounce.

He added: "The reality is that the first and second best teams in the country for the last five years have been United and Chelsea.

"City will challenge, there's no doubt about that. But I look at Chelsea and think of them as being the main challengers for five years now.

"And I see no reason why that should change as a lot of the same players are there. For me, I see Liverpool as just ahead of Tottenham."

New Sky Sports pundit Neville also predicts problems for Arsenal if they allow star men Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to quit.

Fabregas is bound for Barcelona while Nasri is wanted by City. He said: "If they lose those players I would be incredibly surprised if they finish inthe top four."

Neville: I decided retirement call with Ferguson

Gary Neville says he decided to call time on his career last season after talking it over with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson, says Neville, was the first person he went to when he started to think his 36-year-old body could not endure much more punishment.

"I’d had conversations with my wife and my mum and dad," he told the Daily Mail. "And I spoke to Scholesy and Ryan Giggs too, because we have shared most things over the last 20 years.

"But, professionally, the first person I spoke to was the manager. It’s how it works at United. If you have a problem, something you need to talk about, you go and see the manager.

"And I think I was in his office for about an hour and a half that day. He told me to go away and think about it, and sent me away on holiday.

"There’s never any problem with him in that respect. You can see him about anything. If you feel you have a crisis in your life he will make sense of it all. And he’ll look after you and make sure it is dealt with correctly.

"Sometimes in the media it is questioned, the way he protects his players. But they are his people. He looks after them."

Neville: Nani, Young can play in same team

Gary Neville insists Nani and Ashley Young can play in the same team.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's acquisition of Young from Aston Villa last month led to questions being raised as to whether fellow winger Nani - who enjoyed his most impressive campaign to date for the Red Devils in 2010-11 - might look to move on from Old Trafford.

Asked if he was surprised Ferguson had recruited Young in light of Nani's form last term, Neville said: "Not really, because you look at last year when Antonio Valencia got injured.

"He was out for about six months and then, particularly when Park Ji-sung went away to play in the Asian Cup, we really were at times short on the ground in those positions.

"Ashley Young is someone who can play left and right and off the front - so can Nani and so can Park.

"There are plenty enough positions and games for them to share around."

Neville: I did not think we would win title last season

Gary Neville admits he doubted their title chances after the first two months of last season.

Neville hung up his boots in the New Year.

He told the Manchester Evening News: “If you had asked me in October would we win the league I would have replied ‘I’m not sure’. That was not being negative.

"It was based on the way we were playing away from home at that time, the fact we were picking up injuries, we were not consistent, we were conceding goals our play was not of a high standard.

“But then you should always rely on the fact that Manchester United hang in there.

“I remember my last game at West Brom, we were a disaster.

“How we won that match I will never know. But then that is Manchester United.

“It has defined our last 15-20 years, winning when we don’t play well, finding a way to win and then come February and March the team hits form.

“In October Chelsea were double winners and they were six or seven points clear, Arsenal were playing well at that point and you thought this could be tough for us this year. So it was a great championship triumph.”

Neville: Scholes retired too soon

Gary Neville feels Paul Scholes could have played on next season.

Scholes hung up his boots after the Champions League final.

Neville told the Manchester Evening News: "He’s gone too early for me because, as a fan, I would like to see him play every single game. He mesmerises me with the way he plays football. So simple and yet so brilliant.

“But for him it is the right time. He is someone who doesn’t like fuss. He is set in his ways and when he makes a decision he will stick to it.

“He didn’t like sitting on the bench but he felt it was the right time for him to retire and that is the most important thing.

“He has got such incredible high standards, and he is tough on himself.

“I’m not sure what is coaching role is going to be but I’m sure he will grow into it and surprise a lot of people.”

Class of 92 set to return for Gary Neville’s testimonial against Juventus!

Members of Manchester United's trophy-winning sides of the mid-1990s and turn of the century are set to run out at Old Trafford one last time for Gary Neville’s testimonial later this month.

Former favourites Nicky Butt and Phil Neville have confirmed their participation for the match against Juventus on May 24, while David Beckham has also been asked to play.

“I couldn't ask for more than to have all my friends back for one last time,” Gary Neville told the club's official website.

“If possible, it will make the night even more special for me and I hope the fans will enjoy seeing them back too.

“They were special times for us - we were young lads fulfilling our wildest dreams and hopefully we will get to experience that again against Juventus.”

Fellow former-youth team graduated and current United stars Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will also take part in the testimonial match.

Phil Neville added: “I am so excited to be going back to Old Trafford to celebrate what will be an amazing night for my brother. 

“I am looking forward to playing with my brother and my friends one more time. It will be an emotional night for all the family but what a fitting way for Gary to bow out of a fantastic career.”

Butt is also looking forward to the prospect of running out one last time in front of the Old Trafford crowd. 

“When Gary asked me to play in his game I immediately said yes, especially when I heard that the class of '92 were going to be there too,” he said.

“It was a special time for all of us growing up and it is only now as you look back that you actually see what an amazing story it is. I am sure the fans will give him and the rest of us a great reception, as they mean the world to him.”

The match will take place days before the Red Devils take on Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley and other names rumoured to be featuring in the match include Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona.

Gary Neville joins Twitter!!

Gary Neville has just signed up with Twitter - and is already arguing with people!

The former Man Utd skipper signed up over the weekend.

Brother and Everton skipper Phil Neville enjoyed getting in a few shots early.

Robbie Savage and Piers Morgan didn't waste time winding him up either.

Here's Phil's best tweet so far: "Good job you had BECKS in front of you for ten years - you made a good living off the back of him, didn't you?"

Gary, or GNev2 as he is known on Twitter, hasn't attached a picture to his profile because he doesn't know how to.

Neville: Mourinho ideal man to succeed Ferguson

Gary Neville says Jose Mourinho would be a good choice to succeed Sir Alex.

Neville, who has hung up his boots to start work as a TV pundit, told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programmethat finding a replacement for Ferguson is the toughest challenge facing the club.

He said: "That is the most difficult question for Manchester United - the day when he is not manager any more."

The 36-year-old does not think that day is imminent, though.

"He just feels the job is never complete. As a United fan the job at United is never complete - it just goes on forever."

But Neville added on Mourinho: "I really like this manager. I think he's a fantastic manager.

"His team get results and he does what he has to do to get results.

"This guy has won European Cups. He's a serial winner. He knows how to win games.

"There are many good managers out there and it won't be just him on the cards (to replace Ferguson) I am sure."

Neville banned from Man Utd dressing room!!

Gary Neville has banned himself from the players' dressing room.

The retired defender, 36, has made a conscious decision to stay in the background and, following his February retirement, he will cheer Man Utd on from the terraces.

Gary Neville said: “For the first few weeks I continued to keep going into the dressing room but I have stopped that now.

“The players don’t need me around. They are coming to the most important part of the season now and they have to be totally focused.

“I felt it was better for me to stay out of the way. My career has ended and I would have loved to have played for Man Utd for 100 years.

“But I will go to games and just enjoy watching the club I have supported all my life.”

Gary Neville lands glamour testimonial against Juventus

Gary Neville's 18-year Manchester United career will be honoured when the Red Devils tackle Italian giants Juventus in a testimonial at Old Trafford on May 24.

The Tuesday night match comes just four days ahead of United's potential appearance in the Champions League final at Wembley.

The veteran full-back had intended to play a testimonial fixture at the start of this season but was forced to put the game back due to the impossibility of finding a suitable date.

Since then, the 36-year-old has announced his retirement. His final game at West Brom on January 1 saw him fortunate to escape a red card for the second time this season and it was clear the huge number of injuries Neville suffered in the latter stages of his career had taken their toll.

Those difficult last few games will not be allowed to overshadow a fabulous career though, which began with a debut against Torpedo Moscow as a 17-year-old.

By the time he retired, Neville had made 602 appearances for the club he supported all his life, won eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and the Champions League in 1999. In addition, Neville won 85 England caps.

'I am delighted to be given this game by the club,' he said. 'It is going to be a very emotional night for me, especially as I pull on that red shirt once more in what will be my last game for the club. I intend to savour every moment and I hope the fans can share in my special night.'

Neville has pledged to use the proceeds to support sustainable projects within the community, an issue close to his heart, and also has plans for supporter initiatives home and abroad.

'Gary has been a loyal servant of Manchester United and this is a fitting tribute to honour Gary and his career,' said Sir Alex Ferguson.

'It also gives the fans the opportunity to show their admiration and appreciation for a player who is very much one of them.

'We have had many great games against Juventus in the past and I am sure this will be another memorable night.'

Rafael knows he influenced Neville retirement

Rafael da Silva knows he influenced Gary Neville's decision to retire at Manchester United.

The young Brazilian is fast becoming United's first-choice right-back.

He told Globoesporte: "I have played more, every year I get better and more experienced.

"When I arrived they had other owners of the position, but I showed I could do the trick there.

"That's why (Gary) Neville retired. He said it was time to make room for younger people."

Ferdinand interested to be a manager with Gary Neville as assistant!

Rio Ferdinand admits he has management ambitions.

The England skipper admits he would also be interested in becoming a manager one day - with the recently retired Gary Neville as his ideal number two.

The centre-half told Sabotage Times: "If the opportunity comes along then I'll definitely have a look at it, but I've got a while left yet before I have to contemplate it."

As regards his ideal assistant boss, he added: "Gary Neville, he'd be perfect. He'd cross the Ts and dot the Is."