da brdice： Gary Neville has claimed that he was in line to become England manager before his "perfect" Valencia move turned into a nightmare.

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Neville took up Valencia's offer in 2015Was simultaneously working in Roy Hodgson’s backroom staffRevealed that he could have succeeded HodgsonWHAT HAPPENED?

Neville embarked on his managerial career when he accepted the offer to lead Valencia from Peter Lim in December 2015. However, his managerial ambitions were soon quelled as he endured a torrid spell at the Spanish club, winning just three times in 16 league games. Subsequently, he faced the ignominy of dismissal within months of his appointment, marking a stark contrast to his illustrious playing career at Manchester United.

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Neville revealed that prior to his turbulent tenure at Valencia, the Football Association (FA) had earmarked him as the ideal successor to Hodgson. He recounted a constructive conversation with Dan Ashworth, FA’s director of elite development, who emphasised Valencia as the "perfect" stepping stone for Neville's managerial ascent, aligning with Hodgson's potential departure.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

Speaking to the podcast, Neville said: "I’ve never said this publicly, but I remember getting the Valencia job in December, and Dan Ashworth rang me and said this was the perfect move for me to be on that next step for when Roy Hodgson decided he wanted to leave the England job, for me to take over.

"I always remember that phone call and him saying this was the perfect opportunity, but I look back now, and it was right that I failed in the job because I didn’t put the work in. With how my work ethic is now, I needed to fail to have that slap in the face moment, for me to get back to it, which is where I am now. I took the Valencia job purely because I knew the owner and I felt like I owed him something and I was loyal to him, he believed in me in terms of the business."

DID YOU KNOW?

Interestingly, Neville disclosed that he had turned down managerial offers from clubs like Middlesbrough, Newcastle, and Derby in the years leading up to his Valencia appointment. His focus had shifted towards entrepreneurial ventures and media commitments, leading him to decline coaching opportunities offered by various clubs.

"I’ve been asked by Middlesbrough for an interview, Newcastle and Derby asked to speak to me, all in the previous three years I had been on Sky, and I said no to every offer because it wasn’t what I wanted to be," he said.

"I had started my businesses and my media career, so I didn’t want to be a coach and I had said no to Newcastle, which came from someone at Sky who had a contact at Newcastle as they wanted to speak to me, which was the same with Middlesbrough, and I’m not saying that would have got me the job but it could have.”