Valencia drew a match on the weekend. That’s interesting. And wouldn’t normally warrant a look past the headline. Even for those of ‘you’ with almost insatiable appetites for footballing news anywhere, anytime, anything. The draw was against Barcelona, everyone’s dream team, and that in itself makes the result notable as Barca don’t draw many matches and they lose even less.

But this was Gary Neville’s first match as manager of Valencia. Troubled Valencia. Performing poorly, doing badly, the fans against them, the manager (old one, obviously gone). So in steps the older Neville brother.

Gary Neville started playing for Manchester United when he was about 6 years old. He probably played Pokemon with baby David Beckham. He was eventually Beckham’s best man when he married his Spice Girl.

Gary was always gobby. Lots to say for himself. Itself unusual for a footballer. And he spoke in words, sentences and paragraphs. Not just grunted clichés like most do. He was different. They used to call him the shop steward at United because he was always standing up for people, speaking out to the management against bad stuff, generally he was a loud-mouthed busy body. But in a good way.

And all the while, he was a fantastic right back. Seldom injured, Mr Reliable. Played 85 times for England too until an unfortunate back pass effectively ruined the international careers of Gary and of Paul Robinson, the goalie at the time, who never really recovered. Sadly. Cos he played for Spurs at the time. England’s England’s Number One, etc…

When he retired Gary Neville became an assistant coach at England and a tv pundit for Sky. And unlike other pundits, Neville spoke with such an intelligence and a wealth of understanding of the game that he immediately became Mr TV Football. In which he regularly criticised players and particularly managers for their errors. As ya do. Though he did it from an informed perspective, rather than just the usual cheap shots that I personally prefer.

So when the co-owners of his beloved Salford City FC, who also happen to own Valencia, offered him the job of managing the Spanish flounderers, he took it. Not because its a glamour job, not because it would be easy money, but because he felt honour-bound to stand up and be counted as a proper manager. Because to continue telling managers what they’re doing wrong on tv, with nothing to back it up, was wrong in Gary’s mind. So ok then, I’ll be a club manager and let everyone else attack me.

But being clever, the first action he took after being unleashed in Spain was to get the fans (notoriously volatile and unforgiving bunch) onside.

So a 1-1 draw with mighty Barca in your first match managing a team who’ve been crappy all season is a big result. Its a ‘win’ in every sense other than the score.

Good luck Gary. You actually deserve it.

A xxxx