Gary Neville was always a pillar of consistency.
One of the first names on Sir Alex Ferguson’s teamsheets, Neville went on to become the greatest right back in Manchester United history and has eight Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues to show for his time on the right side of United’s back four.
But even the most dependable players go through sticky patches and Neville was no exception to that, with the 43-year-old revealing that he was once completely devoid of confidence.
Ahead of United’s Champions League clash with Sevilla this week, Neville explained how a European tie against a different La Liga side represented his lowest point as a player.
After holding Real Madrid to a 0-0 draw at the Bernabeu in 2000, the Red Devils fell to a 3-2 defeat in the second leg and were thus unable to defend their crown.
When asked to name the biggest bottle job of his career, Neville told the United We Stand fanzine: “Real Madrid at home in 2000.
“I was going through a terrible period with confidence and felt like I didn’t want the ball.
“I remember being on the pitch, thinking ‘this is a low moment for me’.
“I was 25 and had never felt like that before. Leeds in the third round of the FA Cup was a bottle job for the team, too. Terrible, terrible.”
