Gary Neville wasn't a great footballer, says Wayne Rooney

FILE - Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville. Photo: Reuters

FILE - Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville. Photo: Reuters

Published May 3, 2020

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CAPE TOWN – Gary Neville wasn’t a great football player, but his work ethic and professionalism helped him get to the very top, said former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney.

Rooney wrote in his weekly column in the UK Times to stress the importance of professionalism in the modern game.

“Gary’s not a great football player but he worked in every minute of every training session and made the most of everything he had. He had a fantastic career through hard work,” Rooney wrote.

The current Derby County captain then brought up the once highly rated Ravel Morrison, who, according to Rooney, was a better player than Paul Pogba when they were in the Manchester United youth team together.

“I remember watching Ravel Morrison thinking he had everything required for a player in his position.

“He was brilliant. He was confident. He nutmegged Nemanja Vidic three times in the space of a minute in one training game. But he struggled with lifestyle and his environment which was sad for him,” he wrote.

“I saw Paul Pogba come throug, Jesse Lingard, all these players and Ravel was better than any of them by a country mile.

“He’s proof that you can’t escape the fact there are guidelines every player has to obey in professional football. Some players live right on the edge of them but stick just inside and still succeed.”

IOL Sport

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