Now enjoying success with Sky Sports on our screens most weekends, the Salford City co-owner admits the roles seen by most defenders in today's game are fascinating for him to admire.
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“I always think now in some way, if I was to time travel, I’d travel forward – every team I watch the full-backs, it starts to mesmerise me, and think, how would I have even survived," began the 49-year-old.
"Not just watching you, forget you, you’re a freak with the way you pass the ball, but watching [Pedro] Porro at Spurs going into midfield, and doing what he does.
"And [Destiny] Udogie, you see what [John] Stones is doing at the moment at City, playing in midfield, then Kyle’s [Walker] having to tuck in and then get back out again.
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"My job was really simple. If my left back went forward, I’m tucking round. If I go forward, he’s tucking round. If it’s on my side, I’m going out there and getting to him."
Gary Neville has praised the versatility of the likes of Tottenham defender Pedro Porro. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Neville was speaking on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet and further explained how complex a role full-back is now and how beneficial their output can be to a team.
"My game’s quite methodical, and what you’re being asked to do now on the ball, and the positions you’re being asked to take up, the degrees of difficulty are like here [up high], to the degrees of difficulty I was asked to play the game.
"So, I would just love to be here now - you [Trent] would like to see me now, to see me suffer!
"So, you’ll be saying, ‘you won’t be g*bbing off anymore!’ To be fair, I look at you all and think, I can’t even relate to it, the game.”
Bio: Matthew is a freelance journalist and has currently racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.
