Joining Manchester United as a teenager, Gary Neville spent his entire playing career with the Red Devils. Making 602 appearances for his boyhood club, the right-back won 25 trophies during his time at Old Trafford. Lifting the Premier League eight times, the Champions League twice, and the FA Cup on four occasions, Neville is one of the best full-backs of all-time, and recognised as an England great.
Also making 85 appearances for his country, Gary Neville was one of many players to not taste success with the Three Lions. A very reliable full-back, Neville was a consistent performer for club and country, so was a favourite of every manager he played under.
Having spent 19 years at the top level, between 1992 and 2001, Neville has played with and against some of the game's greatest players. Facing Lionel Messi in Champions League finals, Ronaldo Nazario in major European games, as well as playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for six years at Old Trafford, the right-back has shared the pitch with, and directly faced some incredible talents.
When discussing who he believes the best player of all-time is, the Man United great had little doubt.
The pundit chose former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo
In an interview on the Overlap US, via Sports Keeda, Neville delved into his opinion on the best player in football history. Just months after saying that Cristiano Ronaldo was never his friend, the England great still admitted the Portuguese as the greatest player he has seen. He noted:
"I wasn’t friends with Cristiano when I played at the club. He was a great teammate, a special player"
Despite not viewing him as a friend, the former Valencia manager had little hesitation when naming him as the best player to grace a football pitch. When asked if Lionel Messi was the greatest player of all-time, the 46-year-old replied:
"No. I got Cristiano."
Joining Manchester United in 2003, when Neville was in his prime, Ronaldo went on to form a great partnership with the England defender. Scoring 118 goals in 292 games at Old Trafford, the electric winger quickly asserted himself as one of the best players in the world, as he took the Premier League by storm. Also lifting three league titles, the Champions League, an FA Cup, and a Balon d'Or, the former Sporting Lisbon attacker could do it all.
Earning himself a world-record move to Real Madrid in 2009, for around £80 million, Cristiano Ronaldo would go on to cement himself as one of the greatest, if not the best, players of all time. Continuing to break records every year, and score an outstanding number of goals, his longevity is admirable, and it is no surprise that Neville selected him as the best player in history. His first spell at Man United alone was enough to put him in the conversation for the greatest ever, but his consistency and records set since, have further confirmed this.
EPL_Great Footballers 2000 Related
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All statistics via Transfermarkt - correct as of 05.03.2025