Hi there, football fans! Welcome to another edition of my blog, where I share my thoughts on the beautiful game. Today, I want to talk about a topic that has been on my mind for a while: Gary Neville.
Gary Neville is a legend of Manchester United and England, having won 20 trophies and 85 caps in his illustrious career. He is also a co-owner of Salford City FC, a pundit for Sky Sports and ITV, and a former assistant manager of the Three Lions. But what I really want to know is: could he be the next manager of the England national team?
Now, before you start laughing or throwing things at your screen, hear me out. I know Neville had a disastrous spell as the head coach of Valencia in 2015, where he won only three of his 16 league games and was sacked after four months. I know he has no experience of managing at the top level, let alone in international football. I know he is probably happy and comfortable in his current role as a commentator and analyst.
But I also know that Neville has some qualities that could make him a great manager for England. He has passion, leadership, intelligence, honesty and loyalty. He knows the game inside out, having played under Sir Alex Ferguson for almost 20 years. He has a good relationship with many of the current players, having coached them during his time as Roy Hodgson’s assistant. He is not afraid to speak his mind and challenge the status quo, as he often does on TV.
And most importantly, he loves England. He loves wearing the shirt, singing the anthem, representing his country. He has shown that throughout his career, whether it was celebrating wildly after scoring against Scotland in Euro 96, or kissing David Beckham after his free-kick against Greece in 2001. He has shown that he cares about the national team and its fans, and that he wants them to succeed.
So why not give him a chance? Why not let him prove himself as a manager, just as he did as a player? Why not let him bring some of his passion, leadership and intelligence to the England dugout? Why not let him inspire a new generation of players and fans with his love for England?
Of course, there are some drawbacks to this idea. Neville might not want to leave his cushy job at Sky Sports, where he earns millions of pounds and gets to travel around the world. He might not want to deal with the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being the England manager. He might not want to risk his reputation and legacy by taking on such a difficult and thankless task.
And of course, there are some alternatives to Neville. There are other candidates who have more experience, more credentials, more success as managers. There are names like Gareth Southgate, Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche, Brendan Rodgers, Frank Lampard or even Arsene Wenger.
But none of them excite me as much as Neville does. None of them make me feel as optimistic and hopeful as Neville does. None of them make me smile as much as Neville does.
So what do you think? Do you agree with me that Gary Neville could be the next manager of England? Or do you think I’m crazy and deluded? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading and until next time, keep calm and carry on!