Gary Neville has been appointed as coach of Spanish league club Valencia for the rest of this season after Nuno Espirito Santo left by mutual agreement.
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The Manchester United legend has been working as part of Roy Hodgson’s backroom staff with the England national team but the 40-year-old has now agreed to take over at the Mestalla until the end of the season, giving up his work as a leading and often outspoken pundit for British broadcaster Sky.
“When I received the call about Valencia on Sunday evening, I thought “what a football club, what an opportunity, what a challenge”.
“Sitting on television, talking about coaches for these last few years, the time had come for me to stand up”, he said. “If I turned down this job I could have kissed goodbye to my credibility”, he said. Please note that comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language and will be removed accordingly. I have to pick the right team, irrespective of style.
“My family will move over here permanently”.
‘I don’t want to suggest to Gary what he must do. Anyone who has doubts and concerns will only be convinced by winning football matches.
“When I arrived in Valencia, they didn’t win anything in 25 years”.
“Roy was incredibly supportive, positive and enthusiastic for me”, he said. “I will take classes every day but I have a small problem as I will need to get hold of a Spanish teacher who will be prepared to get up at 6AM every day”.
“I have seen many managers create history at this football club”. Not just from him but from Roy Hodgson and other managers who have experience of La Liga.
“When I went to the training ground Philip’s Spanish was excellent with the players and I have to have that same level of commitment”.
“I’ve spoken to many people and the respect he has from everybody is incredibly important”, Neville said of Angulo.
He wrote: “I knew Gary Neville would become a manager one day but the timing has come as a shock”. I won’t shy away from the direct approach I had on television.
“Peter and I have both known Gary for some years in both a personal and professional capacity for many years and have always seen him as someone very special”, she said.
The Italian was first made head coach at the Mestalla in the late 90s, guiding the club to a Copa Del Rey success and Champions League qualification at a time when domination of the ball was in fashion.
“My conversations with him have been about how we’re going to work, what we’re going to do, information about the players”.
But Valencia have not been doing too much tearing recently – and Neville, as befits a man who habitually rises at 5am every morning, does not do relaxed.
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“He understood completely the opportunity for myself and was wholly supportive that I should do it. We’ve got two games in March which are in an worldwide break, when Valencia don’t play”.
