Gary Neville is now widely known across the United Kingdom for his role as a pundit on Sky Sports, however it wasn’t always this way. For years, Neville played for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson – and what a player he was. It could be argued that Neville, who played over 400 matches for the Red Devils during his ten-year career at Old Trafford, is actually the best right back in Premier League history… and here’s why.
Neville was incredibly consistent. While he wasn’t the most adventurous of full-backs, his defensive displays were simply outstanding and he played a key role in United’s success under Ferguson. Neville’s reliability, intelligence and ability to read the game are just three of the main traits that appealed to Ferguson and he was a true leader of the defensive unit before hanging up his boots in 2011.
Although Neville scored just five goals in his career, he loved to get involved in attacks if given the opportunity. Neville’s crossing ability was, on the most part, phenomenal for a right-back and his accurate, cross-field passes helped to switch the play and shape of the attack on a regular basis. Neville is a member of United’s famous “Class of 92” and his ability to play at the highest level for a prolonged period is testament to his talent and fitness.
There have been a number of other superb candidates who could stake their claim as the top flight’s greatest right-back. Manchester City star Pablo Zabaleta has played an instrumental role in their recent triumphs and the Argentina forward must be considered. Another potential contender is Lee Dixon. The former Arsenal right-back played over 450 matches for the Gunners before his retirement in 2002.
Nowadays, you can find Neville keeping viewers up to date with all of the latest news and results on Sky Sports. If you are unable to watch his punditry, you can keep up with the score updates via Football Scores’ website. They are the UK’s leading football scores website and have goal updates and results on various leagues across the world. Unfortunately for them, they don’t have a Gary Neville providing world class analysis though!
Despite the contributions of both Zabaleta and Dixon, Neville is still widely regarded as the Premier League’s greatest right-back. Neville’s impact throughout his illustrious career at Old Trafford stands him tall above his rival right-backs and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former United star hold his own as the top flight’s greatest right back for the next 10-15 years.