Phil Neville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Phil Neville

Neville as manager of the England women's team in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Philip John Neville
Date of birth	(1977-01-21) 21 January 1977 (age 48)
Place of birth	Bury, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Full-back, midfielder
Team information
Current team	Portland Timbers (head coach)
Youth career
1990–1994	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–2005	Manchester United	263	(5)
2005–2013	Everton	242	(4)
Total		505	(9)
International career
1992–1993	England U16	10	(0)
1993–1995	England U18	6	(0)
1995–1996	England U21	7	(0)
2007	England B	1	(0)
1996–2007	England	59	(0)
Managerial career
2015	Salford City (caretaker)
2018–2021	England Women
2021–2023	Inter Miami
2023–	Portland Timbers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philip John Neville (born 21 January 1977) is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers. He also co-owns Salford City with some of his old teammates from Manchester United.

Phil Neville played professionally for Manchester United for ten years. During that time, he helped them win many important trophies. These included six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League. In 2005, he moved to Everton, where he played for eight more years. Neville also played 59 times for the England national team between 1996 and 2007. He played in three European Championships. He was a very flexible player, able to play in different positions in defence or midfield. He was most often a left-back.

After his playing career, Neville started coaching. He coached at Manchester United and was an assistant manager for his brother Gary at Valencia. From 2018 to 2021, he was the head coach of the England women's team, known as the "Lionesses." He led them to fourth place in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Playing Career Highlights

Time at Manchester United

Neville in action at Old Trafford in March 2004

Phil Neville was born in Bury, Greater Manchester. He went to Elton High School, where he was the football team captain for five years. He joined the Manchester United Academy in 1990, just like his older brother Gary.

In 1993, Phil signed a trainee contract with the club. He made his first team debut for Manchester United on 28 January 1995 in an FA Cup match. Two weeks later, he played his first league game against Manchester City.

Phil Neville became known as one of "Fergie's Fledglings." This was a group of young players who came through Manchester United's youth system under manager Alex Ferguson. In 1995, a famous football expert said, "You can't win anything with kids" about Manchester United. But the team, including Phil, went on to win both the Premier League and the FA Cup that season!

During his time at Old Trafford, Neville helped United win many trophies. These included six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League. He was known for getting a lot of yellow cards during games.

Moving to Everton

Neville warming up for Everton

On 4 August 2005, Phil Neville joined Everton. He signed a five-year contract. He played his first game for Everton in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. His first Premier League game for Everton was against his old club, Manchester United. This was the first time Phil and his brother Gary played against each other in the Premier League.

Becoming Captain

Neville quickly became a favorite of Everton's manager, David Moyes. This was because of his hard work and willingness to play in any position. In 2006, he became the team's vice-captain. In January 2007, he became the club captain. On 29 November 2006, Phil and Gary Neville made history. They were the first brothers to captain opposing teams in a Premier League match.

Neville scored his first goal for Everton on 30 December 2006 against Newcastle United. In 2008, a fan attacked Neville during a game against Liverpool. The fan was later banned from all football matches for three years.

Neville playing for Everton against ACF Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup in 2008

Neville was important in penalty shoot-outs for Everton. In 2009, he scored a penalty to help Everton knock out his former club, Manchester United, in the FA Cup semi-finals. In 2011, he scored the winning penalty against Chelsea in the FA Cup. Later that year, he scored a winning goal in a League Cup game against West Bromwich Albion. This goal was named Everton's goal of the season.

On 9 April 2013, Neville announced he would leave Everton when his contract ended. He then decided to retire from playing professional football.

Playing for England

Neville was often chosen to play for the England national team. He made his debut on 23 May 1996 against China. He played alongside his brother Gary in this match. They were the first brothers to play together in an FA Cup-winning team and for England in the same season since 1876.

Phil Neville was a regular player for England for a short time around 2000. He was the youngest player in England's squad for Euro 96. He was also part of the squads for Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. Even though he played 59 times for England, he was never part of an England World Cup squad.

In 2007, Phil and Gary played together for England again after seven years. They hold the record for the most England appearances by two brothers (142 total). They also have the most starts in the same England team by two brothers (31).

How Phil Neville Played

Phil Neville was known for his hard work and being able to play in many different positions. He usually played as a full-back or wing-back, on both the left and right sides of the field. He could even play as a central midfielder.

He might not have been the fastest player or the best at passing, but he was a very reliable defender. He was also known for his leadership on the field. However, he sometimes got a lot of yellow cards because of his tough playing style. Many people thought he was one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

Coaching and Managerial Career

Neville serving as assistant coach of Valencia CF in 2015

Phil Neville has a UEFA Pro Licence, which is a top coaching qualification. In 2012, he started helping the England Under-21s coaching staff. In 2013, he joined the coaching staff for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

In July 2013, Neville became a first-team coach at Manchester United. He worked there with manager David Moyes.

In 2014, Neville and his former Manchester United teammates Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt bought Salford City. They wanted to help the club reach the Football League. They later sold half of the club to businessman Peter Lim. Neville and Scholes even briefly managed Salford City for one game.

In July 2015, Neville joined La Liga club Valencia as a coach. This club was also owned by Peter Lim. He became an assistant coach there.

Leading England Women's Team

Phil Neville as England manager in a post match interview following a friendly against New Zealand in 2019.

On 23 January 2018, Phil Neville was named the head coach of the England women's national football team. He led the "Lionesses" in the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, where they finished second.

England qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France in August 2018. In 2019, England won the SheBelieves Cup for the first time.

At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Neville's team finished first in their group. They then won two more games to reach their second straight Women's World Cup semi-final. This also meant the Team GB qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. England lost 2–1 to the United States in the semi-finals. They finished the World Cup in fourth place after losing the third-place play-off.

After the World Cup, England's performance dropped. They lost several friendly games. In November 2019, a game against Germany at Wembley Stadium set a new record for attendance at an England women's match, with 77,768 fans.

In April 2020, Neville announced he would leave his role as manager in July 2021. He stepped down as manager of England and Team GB on 18 January 2021.

Coaching Inter Miami

Neville coaching for Inter Miami in 2023

On 18 January 2021, Neville became the head coach of Inter Miami CF. This club is owned by his former Manchester United teammate, David Beckham. His first game was on 18 April, a 3–2 loss.

In his first season, Inter Miami struggled, finishing 11th in their conference. In 2022, he led the team to the last 16 of the U.S. Open Cup. In his second MLS season, the club reached the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference. He extended his contract in November 2022.

However, on 1 June 2023, Inter Miami announced that Neville had left the club. At that time, the team was in last place in their conference.

Current Role: Portland Timbers

After leaving Inter Miami, Neville briefly joined John Herdman's staff for the Canada national team in 2023.

On 6 November 2023, Phil Neville was named the head coach of the Portland Timbers. He signed a contract that runs until the end of the 2026 MLS season.

Media Work

Phil Neville often appears as a football expert on radio and TV shows, including the BBC's Match of the Day. He was a commentator and expert for BBC One during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

After leaving Valencia in 2016, he joined Sky Sports as a football expert, working alongside his brother Gary.

Personal Life

Phil Neville went to Elton High School and was a talented cricketer in his youth. He even captained the England Under-15 cricket team. Some people thought he could have been a professional cricketer, like famous players Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar.

Phil is the younger brother of former Manchester United defender Gary Neville. He also has a twin sister, Tracey Neville, who used to be the head coach for the England netball team. His father, Neville Neville, worked for Bury football club, and his mother, Jill, played netball.

Phil is married to Julie, and they have a son named Harvey and a daughter named Isabella. Harvey plays football for Inter Miami and has played for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team.

In 2014, Phil Neville became vegetarian. He said he felt "healthier, leaner" after trying the diet.

Helping Others

Phil Neville's daughter, Isabella, has cerebral palsy. Because of this, Neville is an ambassador for Bliss, a charity that helps babies who need special care. He also supports the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. He has raised money for other charities, including an orphanage in Kenya and a youth club.

Phil Neville also co-founded Foundation 92 with his former Manchester United teammates Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, and Paul Scholes. This organization helps people in the Salford and Greater Manchester areas with their well-being and community programs.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Managerial Statistics

Awards and Achievements

As a Player

Manchester United

• Premier League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
• FA Cup: 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
• FA Community Shield: 1996, 1997, 2003
• UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
• Intercontinental Cup: 1999

England

• Tournoi de France: 1997

Individual Awards

• Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 1993–94

As a Manager

England Women

• SheBelieves Cup: 2019

See also

In Spanish: Phil Neville para niños