Gary Neville was forced to pick his all-time Premier League XI without any Manchester United players, and the former Red Devils captain opted for a number of Liverpool legends
Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, and Roy Keane talking on a live edition of The Overlap
Gary Neville included four Liverpool players in his all-time Premier League team without any Manchester United representatives
Gary Neville was tasked with selecting his all-time Premier League XI without any Manchester United players – with four Liverpool legends chosen by the Red Devils legend. Neville, 50, was a pivotal part of Sir Alex Ferguson's era of dominance in English football.
He retired with 20 major honours – including 10 league titles and Champions League trophies – and could have easily filled his dream team with ex-United colleagues.
However, the stipulation given to him during a live edition of The Overlap in 2022 alongside Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and host Kelly Cates, was that he couldn't include any United players.
Despite consistently rating Peter Schmeichel as the best goalkeeper in Premier League history, Neville chose current Liverpool stopper Alisson to adhere to the rules.
He also included Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in his defence, a decision that drew boos from the audience. In response, he said: "I don't think they heard that I can't pick United players!"
He completed his defence with three of Chelsea's finest defenders - Cesar Azpilicueta and Ashley Cole as full-backs, and his former England team-mate John Terry partnering Van Dijk.
Article continues below
Despite the high calibre of Neville's defensive line-up, the crowd continued to boo, leading him to retort: "Who the f*** do you want in?!"
Liverpool's starting line-up taking a picture before the game
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah were all chosen by Gary Neville
(Image: AFP or licensors)
Despite the likelihood of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes making it into Gary Neville's team if no caveat was given to the his decision-making, he instead chose Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira and former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for his midfield duo, reports the Express.
In response, Carragher quipped: "I can't believe he's picked Gerrard over Scholes!" Neville then turned to Manchester City, selecting club icon David Silva as his attacking midfielder.
The task became more challenging as he sifted through the wealth of attacking talent that has graced the league over the past 30 years – excluding those who played for United.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 24: Steven Gerrard coach of Al Ettifaq looks on during the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Shabab and Al Ettifaq at Al-Shabab Club Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard partners Patrick Vieira in Neville's all-time Premier League XI without Manchester United players
(Image: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was chosen for the right wing, becoming the fourth Reds player on Neville's list.
On the left was Arsenal's all-time top scorer Thierry Henry, with both players sharing the record for the most Golden Boots in Premier League history (4).
Leading the line in Neville's dream team was the Premier League's highest ever goalscorer, Alan Shearer, with 260 goals. Despite calls from the crowd for Didier Drogba, Neville remained steadfast in his choice of the Newcastle legend.