Gary Neville Named the 3 Man United Icons Who Were His ‘Childhood Heroes’

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has revealed which three club icons were his ‘childhood heroes’. Neville, who has the fifth-most appearances for the club in its history with 602, was a consistent figure under Sir Alex Ferguson from his debut in 1992 as part of the Class of ’92.

He enjoyed an incredible career at Old Trafford, winning eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues as well as three FA Cups. While he may downplay his ability, he is one of England’s best-ever full-backs and has achieved an incredible amount across his career.

Rooted in the very fabric of Manchester, Neville is a legend of the city and, with the club producing many iconic names over the years, there are plenty of players he could have chosen that qualified as his ‘childhood heroes’.

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Neville confirmed his three idols when speaking to The Bury Times, with all three playing in the 1970s, 1980s and the early 1990s. However, he also expanded on how his family played a crucial role in his upbringing and career development, measuring them as equal if not more important to him at that age.

“Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside were my childhood heroes, but as I get older I look back and appreciate the time and effort my parents and my nan and grandad took in looking after us and taking us to football every week,” he said.

“Their principles and values were and are so important to me. My mum’s dad, though, is my true hero. To me, he was the perfect male role model. He worked every day up until four weeks before he died aged 81 and looked after everyone in the family,” Neville continued.

“He was wounded twice during World War Two and would show us the shrapnel scars, but he never complained.

Having conquered the game as a player, Neville carried on his involvement by becoming one of the country’s foremost pundits, forming a brilliant partnership with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.

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He was also assistant manager with England and was present at the 2016 European Championships when they crashed out against Iceland. Neville’s only spell in management saw him underwhelmed massively at Valencia, lasting just 28 games before vowing never to manage again.

Known for his business ventures, ownership of Salford City, The Overlap and many other side-quests, we can’t forget that Neville himself will have been an idol to kids growing up, similar to how Hughes and Robson were to him.

Despite the infamous claim that ‘no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville’, his career completely disregards such a statement, and he was a true legend in England for his club and international career.