Manchester United host Manchester City in the first Manchester derby of the season on Sunday afternoon
Peter Schmeichel and Gary Neville.
Gary Neville famously snubbed Peter Schmeichel in the Maine Road tunnel(Image: Sky Sports)
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Peter Schmeichel has great respect for Gary Neville despite his refusal to shake his hand ahead of the 2002 Manchester derby. The major fixture returns this weekend as Manchester United take on Manchester City for the first time this season.
This clash will likely bring back memories for both Schmeichel and Neville, with the former controversially playing across the divide. The Danish goalkeeper spent eight years with the Red Devils, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League.
He also played in City blue for a season, joining the club in 2002 after stints at Sporting CP and Aston Villa. In the league, Schmeichel beat City on seven occasions while at United, but also beat the Red Devils once after switching sides.
Before that game, which City won 3-1, Neville snubbed a handshake from Schmeichel in the tunnel at Maine Road.
The goalkeeper wasn't offended by the gesture, though, as he stated that Neville's "passion" for United was an admirable trait. Speaking on the UTD Podcast, Schmeichel said: "I'll tell you what – I kind of liked him for it.
"You have to do everything you can for your team and one thing is you put your passion in there. You have to look very, very hard to find anyone who's got more passion for Man United than Gary Neville."
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Discussing the rebuff in 2002, the ex-England international claimed it was not disrespect but rather a sign of frustration that Schmeichel had crossed the city lines. Neville said on the Quickly Kevin, Will He Score? podcast: "When you look back now and you're in your forties, like I am, there's two things about that.
"One, he left Man United at the age of whatever he was, 35, and he said he was retiring, basically to go abroad. At the time when he came back, he played for Manchester City. You can't play for Manchester City. I'm a United fan and I can't play for Manchester City, I can't play for Leeds and I can't play for Liverpool.
Peter Schmeichel and Gary Neville.
The United captain was having none of Schmeichel's friendly gesture(Image: Sky Sports)
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"That's just written in stone. You just don't play for those clubs, irrespective of what happens. He'd won the treble with United in '99, said that he was retiring… he should have carried on playing for United for the next two or three years if that was the case. We struggled for a keeper between Peter and Edwin (van der Sar)."
Neville also explained his rules for handshakes pre-match, adding: "Shake hands at the end of the game when you've had the battle. I just think, I'm focusing before a game. I'm focusing on my first pass – which wasn't always a good one – my first touch, my first tackle, my opponent and how I'm going to affect him in the first five minutes of that game.
"So you say about not shaking hands with Peter Schmeichel, but I didn't shake hands with my brother when he was captain of Everton. And that's not because I don't like my brother – I do like him, he's all right."