‘I learned more in that four months than the 14 years before’: Gary Neville reveals his time at Valencia was an ‘eye opener’ – despite being thrashed 7-0 by Barcelona – and insists players and managers should go abroad if possible
- Gary Neville spent four months in charge of Valencia in 2015 and 2016
- He was dismissed after a tough run at the LaLiga side and has not managed since
- But he insisted it was an ‘eye opener’ and views it as a good learning experience
Gary Neville has admitted his time at Valencia was an ‘eye opener’ and has encouraged other British stars to play or manage abroad.
Neville was a shock appointment for the LaLiga side in December 2015, having previously worked as England assistant manager and as a pundit for Sky Sports after retiring.
And the former Manchester United defender suffered a baptism of fire, getting knocked out of the Champions League, going nine games without a win and losing 7-0 at the Nou Camp.
Gary Neville had a four-month spell in charge of Valencia and views it as a learning experience
He had a tough time there, including a 7-0 defeat against Barcelona at the Nou Camp
He would be sacked in March, a period of just four months in charge, and he has not managed another team since.
But the 45-year-old insisted that even that short spell had proven to be a valuable learning experience.
He told Sky Sports: ‘I went to Valencia for four months and it didn’t go well.
‘But the lessons I learned, the experiences I had in terms of finding out about myself, I learned more in that four months than the 14 years before that.
Neville arrived to some fanfare but was dismissed after just four months in charge
‘It told me more about myself. I think any young English football player, I would encourage them to go abroad and spend some time over there.
‘Go abroad, have a different experience. I had never been out of Manchester essentially when it came to football.
‘But Valencia was an eye opener for me. Players and coaches should experience more about the world.’
Neville has insisted the job was an ‘eye opener’ and more English players should go abroad
