Manchester United legend Gary Neville has now spoken out on one “very clear” detail that is missing from the Premier League club in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Gary Neville played for Manchester United at a time when the ‘Class of ‘92’ star enjoyed incredible success at Old Trafford under club legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Emerging from the United youth academy in the 1990s, the 50-year-old Sky Sports pundit spent his entire professional playing career with the Red Devils.
Neville ascended to the United captaincy under former United manager Ferguson after Roy Keane was axed from the club and had a prolific spell at Old Trafford.
The United legend lifted eight Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, three FA Cups and three League Cups before his retirement in 2011.
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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville presents to the camera ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Gary Neville tells Jordi Cruyff a major pet peeve that he has about Man Utd since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement
Gary Neville and Roy Keane were both reunited with former Manchester United teammate Jordi Cruyff on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.
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Jordi Cruyff, who is the son of legendary Dutch icon Johan Cruyff, played for United under Sir Alex Ferguson after he was signed from Barcelona for a £1.4m fee in 1996.
Speaking on The Overlap’s show, Neville told the 51-year-old Dutch former attacking midfielder one of his biggest pet peeves about the Red Devils in the last decade.
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The former England and United right-back admitted that a major difference with the Red Devils now compared with when he played is the loss of the wide players.
“That… I mean, you’ve played for Manchester United and had a very clear identity that I think for 20-odd years of… and going back to the ‘60s with the wide players,” he said.
“That’s the one thing that I wish United hadn’t changed in the last 10 years.”
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The Red Devils have had six permanent head coaches at Old Trafford since 2013, following Ferguson’s retirement as United manager after the 2012-13 campaign.
Neville admitted that United have kept with some traditions that are a core identity of the Red Devils, including promoting youth academy products to the first team.
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However, the former United skipper insisted that there is a ‘loss of identity’ by shifting entirely away from the playing style that was associated with the club.
“They’ve still brought the young players through, but just keep the same style of play,” Neville told Jordi Cruyff.
“The same way of play, because if you’re losing, at least you’ve got your identity. You lose your identity. You’ve lost everything.”
Cruyff made 58 United appearances during his time at Old Trafford and scored eight times and picked up four assists before he signed for La Liga side Alaves in 2000.
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