Phil Neville opens up about his Valencia coaching adventure: It's like my last year at university... I'm nearly ready for a top job

• Phil Neville is currently assistant manager at La Liga side Valencia
• He is learning Spanish with his wife, and also helping with the youth sides
• Neville admits he has picked up the nickname 'Tranquil Phil', and the laid-back atmosphere in Spain has helped him relax more
• He pays tribute to sister Tracey following his father's death earlier this year
• Following his playing career and a stint coaching at Manchester United, Neville believes he is almost ready for a job as a No 1
• He describes his current scenario as being like his 'last year at university' 

By Matt Lawton for the Daily Mail

Published: 16:30 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 17:58 EST, 24 September 2015

Phil Neville's first day as the assistant manager of Valencia was memorable for his arrival at the training ground in the back of a police car.

'I got lost on the way and was starting to panic,' he explains. 'So I stopped to ask a policeman and it turned out he was a fan. In the end I dumped my car and he drove me there.'

He had been told to be there by 9am. The police officer delivered him with 15 minutes to spare. Neville liked that. 'Fergie rules,' he says, referring to his former manager's view that one should always be early. But he soon discovered he needn't have rushed.

Phil Neville sat down with Sportsmail's chief sports reporter Matt Lawton to discuss his time at Valencia

The former Manchester United, Everton and England man is currently assistant manager at the La Liga side

Neville (right) discusses his time in Spain with Matt Lawton, likening his situation to a final year at university

'Everyone else rolled in around 9.30,' he says. "Ola Phil," they all say. I'd been waiting and wondering if I was even in the right place.'

Three months on and he now knows the way to work. The language, however, remains a work in progress. He is sporting a buzz cut. 'I said to the hairdresser "poco" (little in Spanish),' he says. 'Only a tiny bit off, I was trying to say. But she thought I wanted it really short. The first snip with the scissors and I'm like, "oh no".'

Lost one day, lost in translation the next. These are the challenges of moving abroad but Neville is embracing life in Spain. He tries to converse in Spanish at every opportunity — on the phone, with the waitress at his local restaurant. 'My wife and I have a Spanish lesson every day,' he says. 'Julie is almost fluent already.'

With their two children they have made a real commitment. The house in Cheshire has been rented and the Nevilles now have an ultra-modern home in one of Valencia's suburbs. The children attend a local school and son Harvey, a talented winger on Manchester City's books, furthers his football education at Valencia's academy.

Neville says he is almost ready for a No 1 job in management after his time coaching at United and in Spain

Neville is enjoying his new role and building a positive rapport with both fellow coaches and players

After a day's work, Neville coaches there. 'I go down most nights,' he says. 'I'll work with the under 13s and 14s. It's great for my education and I can mess up my Spanish talking to the kids. It's good fun.'

As self-deprecating as ever, he reveals how Nuno Espirito Santo, Valencia's manager, soon gave him a nickname. 'They call me Tranquil Phil,' he says. 'I am ultra-positive, ultra-enthusiastic, but this experience has taught me to relax more.

'I remember Brian Kidd telling me, "When people arrive, make sure everything is set up on the training pitch so they know they are coming to work". That was my philosophy. In at 7am. Over here it's, "Phil, relax, have a coffee".

'The day before pre-season Nuno said, "Come round and we'll have a beer - all the staff - and a chat". He said he'd text me later. It got to half-eight and he hadn't texted so I said to my wife, "He must have got waylaid". I put on my pyjamas and sat in front of the telly. At half-nine he's texted saying, "I'll pick you up in 10 minutes". We were up chatting until 2am. That's the culture.'

Neville has been given the nickname 'Tranquil Phil' and says the Spanish environment has helped him relax

He is No 2 to Nuno Espirito Santo (pictured) at Valencia, and the team currently sit ninth in the league table

Neville knew immediately that Valencia was the right move. He already knew the owner, Peter Lim. Along with his brother Gary and former Manchester United team-mates Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, they had persuaded the Singapore billionaire to invest in their Salford City project.

In turn, the Neville brothers visited Valencia last season with a view to developing a blueprint for the semi-professional Northern Premier League club they one day hope to see in England's top flight.

Even so, why Valencia when David Moyes offered him the chance to renew their United partnership at Real Sociedad last season? When Steve McClaren asked him to join him at Newcastle?

'When it came to Sociedad, I didn't want to come back into football so soon after the Manchester United experience,' he says. 'I was enjoying the freedom, working in the media, that last year gave me.

Neville (right) says he arrived at 7am while coaching at United (right) but things are more laid-back at Valencia

The former defender (left) enjoyed a successful playing career, but is now gearing up to become a manager

'I like Steve (McClaren) and I went up there out of respect to him but I had set my heart on coming here. I wanted a new experience, to learn another language. I wanted to be different. I wanted people to realise I'm taking my coaching career very seriously. I wanted to create my own pathway.

'The phone call from Nuno came out of the blue — I was on the driving range. "Do you want to be assistant manager at Valencia?"

'It was one of those life-changing moments. You are almost shaking, nervous, excited. And I thought, "Yes I do". Without even consulting with the family, I said yes. It seemed right, working for a good manager I'd spent a bit of time with last year. And an owner I felt I could trust.'

After a distinguished playing career at United and Everton and that difficult season as a coach at Old Trafford, Neville sees Valencia as the final part of his education before taking what he now regards as a natural step into management. 'This feels like my last year at university,' he says. 'The final bit of learning and experience I need. Now I am reaching the point where I would like to be a No 1.

Neville (centre) says he is learning Spanish with lessons every day alongside his wife, who is almost fluent

Neville (pictured in 2012) finished his playing career with Everton, and has also dabbled in TV punditry

'My passion is coaching and I see myself more as a head coach with a more continental approach, in charge of football, running the training programme, the players.

'People always view United negatively, but from a purely selfish point of view it wasn't negative. Coaching-wise, it gave me everything I wanted. I was working with some of the world's best players. I learnt so much. Now I am learning in a different environment.'

There have been difficulties, of course. Not least the sudden loss of his father, Neville, who suffered a heart attack in August during a trip to Australia to support the other Neville sibling, Tracey, in her bid to guide England to netball World Cup glory.

Neville Neville was 65 and all three children were extremely close to their father. 'To lose someone who was my best friend, who I relied on so heavily, was something I don't think I'll ever get over,' says Phil.

Neville (centre) and his brother Gary (left) are very close and played together at Manchester United

Neville says the call from Valencia came 'out of the blue' and he was shaking as he accepted the offer

'I would speak to him every day, two or three times. I get sad thinking of that routine. I guess it's time for me to grow on my own.'

He was at home in Valencia when the call came in the middle of the night. 'I had to go to Madrid, Frankfurt, Dubai and on to Australia,' he says. 'Dad was already dead when I arrived. They were keeping him alive on the machines. Everyone has to die but to die that young...

'But the day and a half we had together — me, my sister, my brother and my mum — we laughed, we cried. In a way it was a magical time. And there were some funny moments. The doctor came into the room to ask if he would be a donor and I think Gary said, "I feel sorry for whoever gets his kidneys".'

Phil pays a special tribute to Tracey, his twin. 'She had to keep going,' he says, 'and it's what Dad would have wanted. She had to put on a massive front, publicly. The doctor said they wanted to turn off his machine at 11.30 in the morning and we had to say no because Tracey had a game at 12. We asked them to delay it until 5pm.

Phil pays a special tribute to his sister Tracey (centre) who had to keep going despite the death of their father

Neville Neville (pictured at Phil's wedding in 1999) died suddenly in August of this year after a heart attack

'I went to the game with Tracey. During the anthem I was in bits, a blubbering wreck. She just stood there, held it together, and I thought, "wow". I don't know how she got through it.

'The moment the whistle blew she got her bag and we went back to the hospital. After they turned off the machine we went out, the four of us, for something to eat and Tracey then had to go back to the hotel and deliver a post-match analysis to her team. She got great support from her team but her inner-strength was incredible. It was something we were proud of. She grieved when she got home.'

It is, as Neville says, how their father would have wanted it; how they were raised; how they are wired. 'I went straight back to work, too,' he says. 'I came back and they were trying to throw me out — "What are you doing?"

'That's what he bred into us. Dad wasn't a moper. If you moped you got a clip round the ear. Your parents make you.'

Neville describes Salford City as a '20-year project', and dreams of taking them to the Premier League

Neville (right, pictured at Valencia training) says he is a massive fan of Eddie Howe, who 'looks class'

Neville's parents also gave him ambition as well as sporting talent. He talks of some of the current managers he likes, including Jurgen Klopp and Marcelo Bielsa. Neville also admits to being 'a massive fan of Eddie Howe'. 'I think he's doing things the right way,' he says. 'He looks class.'

At the same time he says he still studies an Arrigo Sacchi coaching video he first watched when he was 18. 'It's 34 minutes long and it represents everything I love about coaching,' he says. 'It's inspiring; working with that great Milan back four; demanding the best from the best players.'

He wants the best for Salford City too. 'That's our 20-year project,' he says. 'When we won promotion last year we went for dinner and it felt no different from winning the league title with United at the Riverside in '96. In some ways it felt better.

'We're in it for the long term and we want to build a model that is sustainable, one that can take us to the Football League. Maybe even the Premier League. Why not?'

Friday night: Valencia v Granada, 7.30pm, Sky Sports 5

Comments (90)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

Enter your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Submit Comment Clear

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now