22 October 2023 , 07:46
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Gary Neville has revealed he was giving a telling off from Sir Bobby Charlton for failing to show the standards expected of him at Manchester United.
United and English football's greatest ever player died at the age of 86 in the early hours of Saturday morning with tributes pouring in across the world. Charlton, who won the World Cup with England, also lifted three league titles and the European Cup at Old Trafford.
After retiring he became a director and was credited with instilling high standards across the club. Neville explained how Charlton would regularly go into the dressing room after matches under the tenure of Sir Alex Ferguson and speak to players, regardless of their result.
Neville paid an emotional tribute to Charlton on Sky Sports on Saturday, describing him as the 'greatest ambassador of Manchester United and the greatest icon of English football'.
He also reflected on one incident at the start of his United career that saw him given a dressing down from Charlton and left him in no uncertain terms what it meant to play for the club.
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"He used to come into the changing room after every match, win lose or draw. He always put things into perspective, it was always balanced and never an emotional reaction," Neville told Sky Sports.
"One game has always stuck with me. We were playing against Bradford at Old Trafford, we were winning 6-0 and I think I was 20, 21 at the time and playing centre back. Right near the end of the game, a Bradford player broke down my left and I went over and absolutely clattered him," Neville told Sky Sports.
Bobby Charlton was a director and ambassador at United after retiring"The crowd were cheering and I never thought anything of it. That was what you did, you went and tackled and got stuck in. I hit the lad hard and gave a foul away. He pulled me in the changing room after the game and asked if he could have a word with me.
"He said 'we don't do that, we show class. You didn't need to do that'. That is something I remember to this day, it was like a telling off from your father or grandfather. I played under Sir Alex Ferguson, Eric Harrison, Nobby Styles and they were always about getting stuck in but Sir Bobby was different. He was so graceful and wanted the club to represent itself well."
Neville also paid tribute to Charlton for pushing for the board to keep faith with Ferguson as he struggled at the start of his Old Trafford tenure in the late 80s. "The Busby Babes created a belief in youth and opportunity and he was the greatest representative of that," he added.
"In the early years of Sir Alex Ferguson, when many wanted him gone, Sir Bobby could see the work he was doing behind the scenes and the principles he was putting in place. He was one of the people in the boardoom that said 'no something is happening here'.
"He is Manchester United's greatest representative around the world. He is an icon, a genuine legend of Manchester United. He is the only player to ever play for the club to have a stand named after him."