Bringing It All Back Home

Former Reds defender Phil Neville spoke to Inside United this month about ‘coming home’ to Old Trafford as a first-team coach…

We know you did some coaching with the England youngsters earlier this year, but if you could have picked one job for your first coaching role it would have been at United wouldn’t it?
Definitely. There is no question this is the dream job for me. When I left eight years ago I always said I wanted to come back to United in some capacity one day. I knew it was probably never going to be as a player so being a coach was the next step. There was never a day that went by where I wasn’t keeping an interest in what was going on at United and to have come back is the perfect scenario for me. I know I need to grasp this opportunity with both hands and make sure I tap into everything that’s going on at this club. So far it’s been fantastic.

Did it feel like coming home on that first day you drove into the Aon Training Complex?
Yes, it did. Usually when you start a new job you have the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, but as soon as I walked through the door and saw Kath on reception [the training ground’s long-serving receptionist] and other familiar faces, it just felt normal. There’s that continuity and that loyalty – it’s what makes this club so successful. The transition could not have been any smoother, but at the same time I know this will probably be the biggest challenge of my career. I’m loving every minute of it.

Ryan Giggs told us it’s almost like starting your career all over again with regard to the coaching roles for you both?
That’s exactly how it feels. You finish your career as an old, experienced player who has been there and done it and then you start your coaching career as someone who is right at the bottom of the ladder again. I think what gives me and Ryan maybe a little bit of a head start is the careers we’ve had and the fact we’ve spent so many years at this club. That gets us a couple of rungs up the ladder, but we both know we still have so much to learn. We want to learn and United is exactly the type of club that can help you learn. It gives you opportunities to grow, both on the playing and staff side, which is really important.

Tell us how the role at the club came about…
My coaching role [in general] has been developing for the last three or four years. I was coming to the end of my career and the boss [David Moyes] wanted me to go on the staff at Everton in the last two years, but I wanted to concentrate on playing and get every ounce of football out of me before I finished. I decided to retire at the end of last season and then, of course, the boss got the United job. We had conversations through the summer and he said there might be an opportunity for me. I had other options, some unbelievable options, one of which was to stay at Everton. I have so much to thank Everton for and they will always have a really special place in my heart, but when push came to shove I just felt this was right.

Is David Moyes relishing the challenges ahead?
Very much so. It’s a big challenge for him and a big challenge for us in supporting him because it’s the biggest club in the world with the biggest expectations. Nothing but the best will do. That’s the challenge, that’s what lies in front of us. The club is steeped in history and we’ve got to make sure we follow those traditions, on and off the pitch. We have to make sure we uphold those traditions. That’s what makes me so excited and why I think myself and Ryan’s roles as staff are so important, because we know those traditions so well.

Steve Round told us you’ve been onto him constantly about learning and trying to absorb as much information as you can…
Yes, I have. I think Roundy goes to bed at night probably locking his door and still hearing me in his ear like a parrot on his shoulder! That’s the way I am. In order to learn, you’ve got to ask questions and learn from people who have great experience, and that’s what Steve has got. He’s got 15 years Premier League experience and, of course, the manager has unbelievable experience. Even Ryan has been through things in his professional career that you’ve got to tap into. There are plenty of people to act as sounding boards and I have to speak to every single one of them.

What’s it like being on the other side of things now as a coach rather than player?
It is different as a coach. You can say things as a player to another player that you can’t say as a coach. You have to form that bit of distance. I’m enjoying it. It’s just fantastic to be on the staff working with top players. I’m looking forward to working with one or two players during the season at different times, like the full-backs or wingers for example, and passing on my experience and the things I was taught as a kid. Even when you’re a first-team player you never stop learning and the same applies as a coach. I want to be a coach that keeps coaching players and keeps teaching them. Every day they come into training is a chance to teach them and make them better. That’s the culture of this club and I want to continue that.