Welcome to Last Word on Football’s ‘Families in Football’ series. Over the next few weeks, we take a look at siblings, cousins and even parents and children that have played the beautiful game. Some have played cup finals together while others have been on opposing sides. Today, we look at Gary and Phil Neville.
Families in Football: The Class of 92’s Gary and Phil Neville
Gary Neville
An older brother, Gary Neville epitomised what coming through the ranks at Manchester United during the 1990s was all about. The right-back stayed with the club throughout his career and turned out 599 times for the Red Devils.
One of the famous ‘Class of 92’ graduates, Gary won the lot during his time at Old Trafford. The defender picked up 12 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one Club World Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and Seven Community Shields.
The die-hard Manchester United fan was a stalwart for the club under Sir Alex Ferguson before he hung up his boots in 2011. The defender also earned 85 caps for England over 12 years.
Phil Neville
Like his brother, Phil Neville was part of the ‘Class of 92’. However, unlike Gary, Phil didn’t spend his entire career at Old Trafford.
Two years younger, Phil made his debut in the same season as Gary but didn’t cement a spot in the starting line-up like his brother. This was largely down to Phil being used as a utility player, covering both full-back positions as well as a defensive midfield role.
Despite his lack of Manchester United appearances compared to Gary, Phil still boasts an impressive trophy cabinet with six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three Community Shields, one Champions League and one Intercontinental Cup.
After 378 matches for the Red Devils, Phil made the switch to Everton – a club he would also surpass 300 appearances for. He was made captain under David Moyes and made his Everton Premier League debut against his brother and Manchester United.
Despite not winning any trophies during his time at Goodison Park, Phil Neville spent six successful seasons with the club before retiring in 2013.
Games They Played Together and Against
The Neville brothers turned out 283 times together for Manchester United and England, including an impressive six cup finals. The pair first shared the field in a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday before suffering a 1-0 defeat for England against Spain in 2007.
Gary and Phil only faced each other on five occasions. Phil’s Everton league debut came in a 2-0 loss against Manchester United at Goodison Park before a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford the same season. The Red Devils won the next encounters two while the final match the duo would play ended in a 3-1 win home for the Toffees.
Interesting Facts
Despite a combined 144 England appearances between them, the duo never scored an international goal.
Also, the brothers come from a successful sporting family, with sister Tracey a former England Netball coach, while Phil could have also made it as a cricketer after playing for Lancashire’s U19 side.
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