CAPE TOWN – Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has revealed he ignored Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice during his ill-fated stint as Valencia manager.
Neville shocked the footballing world when he accepted the Valencia manager’s job in 2015 having never worked in football management after he retired from the game.
His time in Spain, where he convinced younger brother Phil to join him, was disastrous and the club won just 10 out of 28 games before he was fired.
Neville, who has insisted he will never return to management again, said he sought out former boss Ferguson for advice during his early days, and when he got it, he completely ignored it.
“Early on, it was clear that some players were unhappy. I should hae made big decisions on players that weren’t committed to the club at that point,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“I remember speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson quite early on and his advice was: ‘Just get rid of them, son. Protect yourself. Only have people in the dressing room that are facing the same direction as you.’
“But I didn’t listen. I tried to talk some players around to staying until the end of the season. But they weren’t happy.
“I ignored Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice.”